Let Me Lean On You Chapter 1
by moonshadowASJ
Summary: Hannibal Heyes, Kid Curry, an over-zealous and persistent posse, childhood flashbacks, hurt and comfort and angst - what more could you ask for?
1. Down the Crooked Road

"**Let Me Lean On You"**

**Chapter 1 **

"**Down the Crooked Road"**

**(Aka "Recipe For Disaster")**

This tale begins with the ingredients necessary to create the most basic of any ASJ story: complications that arise after Heyes and the Kid encounter a very persistent posse.

To this batter I sifted in a few handfuls of childhood flashbacks and mixed well.

Next I folded in several dashes of hurt/comfort.

For good measure, Le Pièce de Résistance (aka a few well-guarded "secret" ingredients) were then tossed into this concoction.

When prepared according to directions, the result should leave the reader satiated, but hungering for more.

~~ Bon Appetite'~~ Hope this "whets your appetite!" ~~ moonshadow ~~

**0000000**

**moonshadow's musings...**

_What you are about to read is my very first fanfic, written over 37 years ago; a sixteen year old girl's attempt to keep her two favorite outlaws alive. Once completed my story was left to languish in a drawer until it was moved to a cardboard box, to be later shoved into a storage unit. It was a long time before I found out there were "others" that also wanted the guys to live on through their writing via the internet. I discovered that it wasn't such a silly idea after all to help them continue their adventures and quest for amnesty._

_This first story was done purely for my love for the characters of Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry; my idea of them as young outlaws. I tend to think of it as a bit on the "whimsical" side since "my Kid" is more vulnerable and not a "tough as nails" outlaw yet; he has not come into being his own man…_

_At the time I created this story, I was interested in certain aspects of the characteristics and personalities of the duo and wanted to delve into the "how and why" some of their traits might have come about. Kind of a "HH & KC in the making," so to speak._

_And so, with some help (and LOTS of persuasion) from some very dedicated - and awesome - writers who believe in me and my ability to weave a tale, here it is. Bear with some of the weaknesses – I never thought I'd ever write another one! Although I've "tweaked" it a bit here and there, I pretty much left it in its original form, for this was the very beginning of fanfic writing for me…_

**0000000**

_**"Let Me Lean On You"**_

_**Keep your eyes upon me; Keep me in your sight; **_

_**Help me down the crooked road; Lead me to the light. **_

_**The road I'm on is dark...I'm not sure if I know the way; **_

_**Yet with you right beside me, I'm certain I won't stray. **_

_**Protect me from the world; I know we'll make it through; **_

_**Give me all the strength I need... **_

_***Let Me Lean On You***_

**~ Megan Stroup~**

**0000000**

**1882...Somewhere in Colorado**

Bodies parallel to their mounts, Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry rode low to keep wind resistance at a minimum. They needed all the help they could muster in order to outrun, and outsmart, the very determined posse from hell that had been dogging them for the past five days, relentless in its pursuit of the outlaws.

Surrounded by flatland as far as the eye could see, they took advantage of whatever might pass for shelter. With those places few and far-between, when the opportunity presented itself the two desperate outlaws dared to stop for a breather and ducked for cover behind a sparse outcropping of rocks and trees.

A moment later Hannibal Heyes lifted his head from the saddlehorn where he had dropped it to lay atop his hands. He tilted it back far enough to aim a fierce scowl at the bright beacon of light that hung in the sky above them.

"Just our luck…" he growled between drawing deep gulps of life-saving oxygen, "you'd have to…be full…tonight!"

"Gettin' mad…at it ain't…gonna help," Curry ground out, as breathless as his partner. "Besides, it's been…that way…for the past…few nights."

"Maybe..." Heyes admitted grudgingly, "but it…wasn't…so high…clouds helped…didn't light up…everything like…the fourth of July!…It's making it…that much easier…for them to…track us…we're like…sitting ducks!"

"Want me…to take…point for…a while?"

"No!" The sharp retort was accompanied by a vehement shake of Heyes' head, "You…make sure…they don't…get too close…Shoot… a few holes…in their…guiding light…while you're at it!" He kneed his mount and man and horse made an abrupt pivot; without another word they began their descent down the mountain.

Kid watched his cousin as he rode past, but didn't favor him with a reply. _Heyes sure is in a foul temper tonight_, _but I_ _can't say as I blame him_. His countenance was troubled as he fell in behind. He had no problem following his partner; it was as the man had said. The moon was not their friend tonight; instead it aided and abetted the group of men who followed close on their heels_. _

A quick glance over his shoulder only caused Curry's frown to deepen. _Way too close._

It wasn't long before the two outlaws picked up the grueling pace they had been keeping for the past few hours. Faces grim with determination, both men were thinking ahead and along the same lines. Their last option would be to split up, something neither one relished. They had put it off as long as they dared and the time to make that decision wasn't too far down the road.

"Maybe Lady Luck'll take pity on us before we have to decide?" Curry sighed with resignation. "It'd sure be nice, but the way things stand right now, I sure wouldn't bet on it!"

**0000000**

Shortly thereafter, no doubt remained in either man's mind that their time had indeed run out.

Forced to eat and drink while on the run, snatching rest only when the posse did, trying to stay one step ahead of their pursuers had taken its toll on Heyes and Curry mentally as well as physically. The sparse words the two exhausted outlaws exchanged every now and then were far from the easy-going banter the two friends tossed at one another under normal circumstances.

On that first day, back when they had still been able to joke about their predicament, Heyes had turned to face his partner when they stopped to check out the lay of the land.

"They're tracking so good, that posse must have an Apache riding along with them," he had decreed with a dimpled grin.

That had been five days ago; five long, grueling days of riding hell-bent for leather. Their situation was no longer a joking matter and Heyes hadn't cracked another smile since his prophetic words. Instead, just that morning he had leaned against his horse, the outlaw's sides heaving nearly as much as the animal's, and turned around to face his partner once again. This time, however, his brows were knit together and the corners of his mouth were turned down in a grim frown. He'd been forced to swallow several times before there was enough saliva in his arid mouth to speak.

"Forget...what I...said...I was...wrong," he gasped between gulps.

Drawing deep breaths of air into lungs that felt as if they might explode, Curry lifted his head to stare at his partner. "Huh? Wrong?..." His face had a blank look. " 'Bout what?"

"That posse...I was...wrong...about 'em."

"The _posse_?...Whaddya mean...you were...wrong?"

"Remember...when I said...I thought...they must have...an Apache with 'em...well, I was wrong," the disgruntled outlaw's tone spoke of his chagrin, "I think…the whole…damn posse...is one hundred percent...full-blooded Apache - every last one of 'em!"

The Kid glowered at his cousin. "You know...what I...think?…I think…sometimes...you think…too much!" As saddle weary as he was, Curry hadn't dismounted when they had stopped; he was positive that if he did, he would never be able to climb back up. Taking advantage of the opportunity, he stood up in his stirrups to stretch his legs before gingerly easing his backside down onto the hard leather of the saddle.

"If that posse...don't give up soon...I jus' might…turn myself in!" he snapped. Pivoting his animal about, Curry looked down at the man who still stood on the ground.

"Less'n you wanna...get a real close look...to see if you're...right this time...you might …wanna think…'bout gettin'…on your horse...an' movin'..._muy pronto_!"

Heyes threw his partner an annoyed glance but hauled himself up into the saddle showing even less enthusiasm than Curry had. His body protested every time he moved, forcing him to acknowledge aches and pains in places he didn't even know he had. A grimace crossed his face as he stifled the groan that had risen to his parched lips.

That had been the first real conversation the two friends had shared in the past few days. They couldn't be sure it wouldn't be their last; right now, every day was a gamble. The most they could hope for was that fate would smile down upon them as they urged their weary horses along the trail.

Raking a dirty shirtsleeve across his face to wipe the beads of perspiration from his brow, the dark-haired outlaw took the lead again, his mind in a fervent race with time to come up with a plan. They needed a scheme that would save the two of them from the very real possibility of spending the next twenty years behind bars in the Wyoming Territorial prison if they were captured. He didn't need to look back to know the whereabouts of his partner.

The second man was as fair as his companion was dark. Sandy curls, drenched with sweat, clung to his head in damp ringlets; his face was drawn and haggard, the boyish features hidden beneath an inch of trail dust. He rode just behind his friend and kept a close watch on his back.

As different as night and day in their looks, the two men worked together as a team. They complemented each other and were as efficient as a well-oiled machine. Each one had placed their faith and trust in the other while still young children; that foundation had only grown more solid as the years progressed.

Cousins, born and raised in Kansas, they were all that remained of two loving families that had been slaughtered by Quantrill and his marauding band of renegade border raiders. Heyes had been barely ten and Jed only eight years old at the time of their tragic loss.

As they matured, both boys learned early on not to place their trust in anyone; forced to learn that lesson the hard way. The few times they had lowered their guard, more often than not they found themselves to be the ones who paid the price, they were the ones who ended up neck deep in trouble.

Wanted posters that decorated the jail walls or lived in the desk drawers of lawmen across the western countryside proclaimed Hannibal Heyes and Jedediah "Kid" Curry to be worth $10,000 each - dead or alive.

Heyes was the leader, the schemer and the mastermind of plans for a gang of miscreants known as The Devil's Hole Gang; he also possessed a rare and special gift when dealing with safes. His quick, agile mind, combined with a set of nimble fingers, were assets that were unequaled and revered by both lawmen and fellow outlaws alike.

Curry, who helped to lead the gang with him, was a great listener and sounding board when Heyes needed to talk through his schemes. Quick to detect any weak links in his partner's plans, he was just as quick with an alternative suggestion. Notorious for his prowess with a gun, he was legendary as the gun-fighter with a lightning fast draw. It was this last trait that enabled the Kid to ensure that nobody got out of line, either inside or outside of Devil's Hole.

With their strengths combined, the two men were a formidable pair. It had been only a matter of time before Heyes and Curry became two of the most successful outlaws of their time despite the fact that in all the train and bank robberies they had committed, they had never shot anyone. Lest it be thought otherwise, that was not to say that the outlaws had not _used _guns in the commission of their crimes, but that the weapons were merely a ploy to instill intimidation into the people so that killing would not become a necessity.

In truth, the pair were more like a couple of latter-day Robin Hoods; they hurt the banks and railroads in their most vulnerable spots, yet shied away from taking personal property from the passengers of the conveyances they robbed or causing harm to innocent bystanders. When modern technology made it near impossible for the two outlaws to continue along their chosen path, they both came to the realization that something would have to change, and furthermore, that something would have to be them.

Heyes and Curry got wind of the Governor of Wyoming's new "Amnesty Plan" and slipped unnoticed into the small town of Porterville one moonless night to approach a fellow ex-outlaw and old friend, Lom Trevors. Trevors, who had already received his own amnesty from the Governor, was now the acting sheriff of Porterville.

"If Lom can do it, then we can too…right, Heyes?"

"Yeah, but there's more to it than that, Kid; if we can convince Lom that we really mean it, he would be a good man to have on our side, especially when we have to talk to the Governor."

It was a good plan. However, even after a whole night of talking and arguing until they were blue in the face, Heyes and Curry were still unable to persuade the lawman over to their side.

While suspect of their true motive, Lom was wise enough to keep his counsel to himself and decided to try a different tactic.

"Do you know – do you have _any _idea how many men have a price tag of $10,000 on their heads?" Trevors drew himself up to his full height and answered his own question before either of the other two could say a word. "Two - and I'm looking at both of them right now!"

"That's not fair, Lom, and you know it!" Heyes growled in protest, "Why should _we_ be penalized for being the best in our field?" He slammed a palm down against the lawman's desk, producing the sound effect of a gunshot. "We can't help it that we were better at our jobs than everyone else now - can we?"

Quick to back up his partner, Kid positioned his body so that he was alongside his friend. "Yeah, Lom, Heyes is right; even though we were outlaws, an' we did rob all those banks an' trains, neither one of us is wanted for murder – anywhere."

"And another thing, can some of those _other _outlaws – you know, the ones with a smaller price tag on their wanted posters - make a claim like that?" Heyes raised his eyes until they were level with those of their friend; eyes that reflected the sincerity in his voice. "That should count for something, shouldn't it, Lom? Surely the Governor should be willing to take a thing that important into consideration…right?"

The lawman looked first at Heyes and then to Curry. The seconds ticked by as he stared each man straight in the eyes; the silence in the small office was deafening. In the end, the out-laws' final words, along with the fact that both men spoke of their lawless days as if in the past, were what won the sheriff over to their side. Convinced by what he read in their faces, he blew out a breath and gave a curt nod. "Alright, I'll go see the governor and _discuss_ the amnesty for you - for old time's sake!"

**0000000**

**Several Days Later; Porterville, Back Inside Sheriff Lom Trevor's Jail...**

Lom returned to announce that he had good news.

The expressions on the outlaw's faces were as dazzling as the fireworks that lit up the sky on the fourth of July. Unable to contain their emotions any longer, anxious to hear what had happened both began to speak at once, bombarding the lawman with questions.

"What'd he say, Lom?" Heyes queried, "When does it take effect?"

"Yeah an' how do we let everyone know we got it? Curry turned to his partner, "You think maybe they'll put it in the newspapers?"

Impossible for the sheriff to get a word in edgewise, he had to raise his voice to be heard. "Hey - you two are worse than a couple of magpies! If you'd simmer down long enough to listen, I just _might_ be able to tell you!" After they had complied, he began to explain.

"You _did _receive the amnesty -"

Shouting, grabbing each other in an exuberant bear hug and clapping each other on the back, the two men's enthusiasm forced Lom to wait once again for the celebrating to subside before he could continue.

"I knew it, Kid!" Heyes grinned.

"Yahoo, Heyes - we did it!" Curry threw his hat into the air, "No more runnin' from posses and lawmen! No more eatin' cold beans out of a can!"

"We're not wanted anymore…wahoooooo!"

"There's something I -" Lom began.

"I know what let's do, Heyes…Let's get every one of those wanted posters all whomped up together in a pile an' have us a great big bonfire!"

"Fellas, listen -" the sheriff tried again.

"Sounds like a real good idea, Kid, I like it! And we can invite everyone to help us celebrate - Clem and George -"

"An' Wheat an' Kyle, an' all the rest of the boys -"

"If you'd just let me -"

"We can't leave Silky and Soapy out -"

A shrill whistle was able to get their attention when all else failed. "Neither of you is going to be inviting anybody anywhere to do anything!" Lom snapped.

"We're not?" Heyes' smile turned into a frown. "Why?"

"Yeah - why not?" Curry echoed.

"Because you didn't let me finish! Before you two start sending out the invites and hoorahing the town, there's something real important you'd better listen to. I'm supposed to tell you that the amnesty is provisional -"

"_Provisional_?" Heyes cut him off, "Just what do you mean by _provisional_?" He fixed the lawman with a glare.

"Well, there are certain strings attached."

"_Strings?"_ Curry favored the lawman with a deep scowl of suspicion, "What kinda _strings_?"

"What exactly are you saying, Lom?" Heyes took a step in the sheriff's direction. "Spit it out! Did we - or did we not - get the amnesty?"

"Yeah, Lom, it can't be both," Curry came to stand alongside his partner, his hand coming to rest on his gun.

Taking in the Kid's stance, Lom held up a cautionary hand. "Now, take it easy, hold on just one minute, fellas; I said it was _good_ news, remember? Well, it seems that the Governor feels it'd be political suicide for his career, this close to election time, to just flat out and grant the pair of you full amnesty now.

"He says that first you're going to have to prove you deserve it. So, if you can manage to stay out of trouble for one whole year, then he'll definitely consider granting your request by making it official; he'll announce the deal to the public."

As both men opened their mouths, Lom was quick to add, "I wasn't finished; there's one final condition. You can't tell anyone else about your special deal - nobody, _not one single person_ - understood? Only the two of you, me, and of course the Governor, will know about it; it'll be our secret, agreed?"

The two outlaws exchanged a silent look, and then nodded, albeit with reluctance.

Heyes' warm brown eyes had darkened to the color of obsidian. Having heard, and understood, the underlying message in the lawman's explanation, there were two significant words, 'if' and 'consider' that stood out like sore thumbs. Arms akimbo on his hips, he fixed Trevors with a glare.

"So what it all boils down to is, that _IF _we don't make it, that _IF_ we make just _one_ mistake – no matter how small - the Governor can _UNconsider_ it and forget the whole thing," he snapped his fingers, "just like that?"

Lom nodded, "That's the deal, fellas; you can take it or leave it."

The men's initial joy and elation when Lom had first informed them that they had received the amnesty was quick to evaporate, leaving in its place bitterness, anger and disappointment. With no other options to choose from, Heyes and Curry accepted the deal with the stark realization it meant that not one solitary thing had changed for them. In reality, they would still be wanted, they would still be worth $10,000 each - dead or alive - to anyone who recognized them, but the worst part of all was that they would still be on the run.

In effect, according to the rules set forth by the Governor, and which they would be forced to abide by, Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry could still be blamed, and held accountable, for any illegal activity that even remotely involved a train or a bank. They would still have to survive, but it would be without the money they had been getting from the banks and trains they robbed.

It would be tough going. Even when the two outlaws had been pocketing their share of those illicit funds it had been just enough for them to get by on. Now, all it would take was one slip and they could forget all about the proposed amnesty.

The two men shared another long, silent look before turning to face Lom.

"Anything _else _we should know about, _Sheriff_?" Heyes snapped, making no attempt to mask his sarcasm.

Lom didn't flinch. "I went to the Governor for you, didn't I?" he shot back, "It's MY reputation on the line!"

It was a standoff. All three men stood scowling at each other as the seconds ticked by.

Lom ran a hand through his hair. "Look, fellas, I know you've never lied to me, and you've got no cause to start now. You've both given me your word that you're going to stay out of trouble and that's good enough for me. If anyone can do it, you two can. But," Trevors went on, "I'm going to be keeping a real close eye on you."

Not one hint of a smile was visible on the lawman's face when he added, "I'm giving the both of you fair warning right here and now, that if something _should_ happen, I'll be the one to come after you."

Heyes and Curry were under no illusions; they knew with dead certainty that the sheriff meant every word he said. The outlaws also acknowledged the truth of the matter: Lom Trevors was the one person whom they would never be able to outrun.

Under the guise of 'protection', and as a final condition of the proposed amnesty, 'aliases' had been created for the two outlaws to live under for the next year. Hannibal Heyes would cease to exist; he would become Joshua Smith. Jedediah "Kid" Curry would also vanish; in his place would ride a man by the name of Thaddeus Jones. Upon hearing Lom make the announcement, neither Heyes nor Curry appeared to be very impressed with the choice of names about to be bestowed on them.

"What's wrong with them I'd like to ask?" the lawman challenged.

"Well," Heyes grinned, "you have to admit, they're not very creative. So, Lom,who is it, you or the Governor who's cursed with such a sorry lack of imagination?"

Bristling with indignation, Trevors' eyes glittered as he pierced both outlaws with a glare, "As a matter of fact, the names belong to a couple of good, _honest_, hard-working men! Joshua was the Governor's father's name and Thaddeus just so happens to belong to _my grandfather!_ Those names were good enough for them and they ought to do just fine and dandy for you - still want to complain?"

The partners exchanged a quick look.

Despite the warning headshake Heyes gave him Curry turned back to face the lawman. "_Smith _an' _Jones_?" he snorted, "C'mon, Lom!"

"Well, we can't very well contact you by your real names now, can we? The Governor wanted something that wouldn't attract attention; I thought they should be easy to remember and common enough people would believe they were your real ones. Besides," the lawman was quick to point out, "the world is full of Smiths and Jones'."

When presented with those unarguable facts, Heyes and Curry decided to fold, and so the monikers stuck.

As the three friends shook hands and said good-bye, 'Joshua Smith' and 'Thaddeus Jones' hoped that the next time they all met it would be because Lom had good news to share with them, news that the Governor of Wyoming had finally seen fit to grant both Hannibal Heyes and Jed "Kid" Curry full amnesty.

Mounted on their horses and on their way out of Porterville, Joshua Smith favored his partner with a wry grin.

"Well, _Thaddeus_, looks like it's going to be a long twelve months..."

**0000000**

**Two Months Later…Down the Straight and Narrow Road**

To give credit where credit was due, Heyes and Curry really did do their best to try and stay out of trouble, and out of the law's hands, but sometimes it seemed as if trouble came looking for - and found them - with a vengeance. With great reluctance, more often than not, the two had even taken on jobs that required long hours of hard, back-breaking work in return for very little pay in order to avoid questionable circumstances. It was at the end of one such day that, after staring at the piece of jerky he held in his hand, the Kid turned to his partner.

"You know what, Heyes? Ever since we decided to go straight we _never _have any money an' we're _always_ short on food!" Curry groused; his stomach gave a loud rumbling growl in agreement. "I don't think that deal we made with the Governor was such a good one!"

Gnawing on his own tough piece of dried meat, Heyes grimaced. "Kid, I'm way ahead of you on that!"

**0000000**

**Back To the Beginning: **

**We rejoin our two outlaws, with the posse still in hot pursuit…**

The breaking of dawn signaled that yet another sleepless night had ended for the two outlaws. Heyes darted a quick look up at the sky. The sun had just begun to rise over the mountains that surrounded them and here they were again, trying to outrun a posse that was determined as well as ruthless in its pursuit of the wanted men. As exhausted as he was, he had come up with a foolproof plan, a sure-fire way guaranteed to lose them.

"I'll admit, it might be a bit daring," he conceded, "but it'll keep us alive and out of that posse's hands." A grin tugged at the corners of Heyes' mouth. "Now all I have to do is convince Kid to go along with it."

Behind Heyes, Curry twisted around in his saddle just enough to put a hand on his lower back and began to knead the sore muscles in the hope of easing some of the discomfort. He clenched his teeth in frustration when he realized the effort was pointless; his neck and shoulders were also beginning to cramp, stinging like pins and needles, and it didn't look as if they'd be getting out of their saddles anytime soon.

He raised his head and twisted a bit further around to judge the posse's position before easing up slowly; he arched his back and hunched his stiff neck and shoulders. The corners of his mouth turned up in a smile, his first in several days. _Lordy, but that sure felt good!_ Kid breathed in relief.

A few seconds later, a wave of searing hot pain shot through the outlaw's left shoulder blade and caused him to regret his impulsive stretch. It spiraled across his torso and continued along the entire length of his arm; Curry grip on the reins slackened and he slumped sideways. In danger of falling off his horse, at the last second he managed to grasp the animal's mane with his good hand. His efforts hindered by the injury, he struggled to regain his balance.

Numbness started to set in; it began to snake its way down his arm and complicated the task even further. It required every ounce of grit the outlaw had left to wrap the wrist of his wounded arm around the saddlehorn with the fervent hope that he could hold on. He bit down on his lip and drew blood as another spasm shot down the length of the injured appendage and jolted him to his core.

Working one-handed on the knot, Curry reached up to untie the bandana that encircled his neck. Just as he was about to concede defeat, he felt the knot give way and yanked the red square of material free. The outlaw sent a quick glance at the horse and rider ahead and released another relief-filled sigh.

_Well, one good thing, at least Heyes hasn't noticed - yet. He'd jus' worry, an' right now we can't afford for him to be doin' anythin' 'cept figurin' out how to steer us clear of that posse. There'll be plenty of time enough to let him know later on when we stop. He's bound not to like it much, but somehow I don't think that posse's gonna let us stop an' take a break jus' so's he can patch up a gunshot wound in one of their $10,000.00 prizes!_

It was a painful and time-consuming task but Curry managed to wedge the bandana between his shoulder blade and Henley. _That should take care of things for now; could our luck get any worse?_ the exhausted man dared to wonder. He tensed when his partner turned around to give him a quick look of inquiry. From somewhere deep down inside, the sandy-haired outlaw summoned up the strength to produce both the semblance of a smile and a thumbs-up gesture.

Satisfied, Heyes nodded and returned his attention to the job at hand.

Free of his partner's scrutiny, the Kid pitched forward to bury his face deep into his horse's mane. He stifled another groan, not because he worried that Heyes might hear it, there was no possibility of that. No, it was because he was sure that if he gave in to the pain, that if he allowed it to escape, it would ultimately be his fault when the posse captured them.

His thoughts kept pace to the staccato beat of the pounding hooves. "Can't let Heyes know...can't let Heyes know...can't let Heyes know..." The whispered words became a mantra as the two men continued to ride for their lives. As he struggled to remain conscious, Curry's thoughts drifted as he recalled how they had come to be in this lousy, but familiar, predicament in the first place...

**0000000**

**NINE DAYS EARLIER…**

The town was perfect.

In fact, that was exactly the word both he and Heyes had used to describe it. Perfect. The place had appeared to be all that they required; the answer to their petitions.

Even the name was perfect: Harmony.

The town was small and quiet, filled with townspeople who were friendly, but not too nosey. The saloon provided liquid refreshments and poker games with moderate to unskilled players who were genial and willing to part ways with their money and not kick up too much of a fuss. There was even light entertainment to be found in the form of a drunken brawl or two, as well as the off-key howling of customers too inebriated to care whom they offended.

Their second floor hotel room had a bird's eye view of the building that sat right smack dab across the street: the Sheriff's office.

But the most perfect aspect of all was the complete stranger who wore the star-shaped badge and sat in that office. Curry remembered he and Heyes had exchanged a satisfied smile when they read the name above the door. Sheriff Lester Addams. Nope, it didn't set off any warning bells in either of their heads.

All in all, the two partners concluded that Harmony would be the perfect place to hide out in; a great town to pass the time while they figured out what they wanted to do and where they wanted to head next.

And, it had been perfect...at least for the first few days. The pair had fallen into an easy routine: wake up, eat breakfast, exercise their horses, read and pass the time until the next meal. Eat lunch, drink, play poker. Eat supper, play more poker, drink more beer, go to sleep…It was a schedule of leisure that had suited them perfectly.

On their fourth afternoon in Harmony, the two men were in the saloon enjoying a beer after a few uneventful games of poker when, without warning, Heyes pulled his hat down low and raised a hand to shield his face from the rest of the room.

"Don't look now," he whispered, "but I'm pretty sure that man who just walked in is Lefty Carter. He's at the table over by the wall next to the bar."

"Where?" Curry's head swiveled in the direction his partner had indicated.

"I said _**don't**_ look!" Heyes hissed.

Curry threw Heyes an apologetic look, averted his eyes and ducked his head. For good measure he hunched down and made a half-turn in his chair so that his back was to the man. "You don't s'pose he still holds a grudge against us, do you?" he whispered.

"Unfortunately for us, I _do_ suppose, taking into consideration the fact that I'm the one who accused him of cheating and you're the reason he's nicknamed Lefty..." Heyes paused long enough to take a covert look through his fingers at the man in question before turning back to his partner. "You do remember the last thing he said to us, don't you?"

Curry nodded, his expression as glum as his partner's words. "How could I forget? Said he'd get even with us, 'specially me, if it was the last thing he ever did. You think we can get outta here without him noticing us?"

"Too late for that."

Something he heard in his partner's face caused Kid to tense; his hand went to rest on his gun.

"Easy…" Heyes cautioned.

"What?"

"Lefty just got up; he's heading for the door."

"You think he's gonna go tell the sheriff who we are?"

"It's not what I think that matters; it's what the sheriff thinks and what we do next that counts."

Kid raised curry-blue eyes to stare into brunneous ones. "You sure he saw us?"

"Positive, and yes," he forestalled Curry's next question, "I'm sure he recognized us."

Heyes and Curry waited until Lefty had left the saloon. As soon as the batwing doors swung shut behind him they exited by way of the back door, trying not to draw any unwanted attention to themselves. The men kept to the shadows until they reached their hotel; they slipped inside and took the stairs, two at a time, up to their room.

Saddlebags packed, the pair was on their way to the livery stable in record time. With an efficiency born of practice, horses were saddled, bridled and ready to ride within minutes.

Heyes and Curry mounted up and rode like the wind; they high-tailed it out of the perfect little town of Harmony. It wasn't very long before they noticed a thick cloud of dust not too far behind them. The two outlaws pulled their horses up short and exchanged a look of resignation.

"Some deal huh, Heyes? We didn't even do anythin' an' they're _still_ comin' after us!" Curry complained. After a slight hesitation he added, "You think we'll ever get that amnesty?"

"Like I said before, Kid, it doesn't matter what I think. C'mon, let's get going and give 'em a run for their money!"

"An' that's how we ended up here…" Curry muttered into the whistling wind.

**0000000**

Heyes continued to lead the way up the rocky trail, high into the hills above, intent on making it as difficult as possible for the posse to follow their tracks. Their pursuers who were getting closer with every minute that passed.

"I need to buy us some time. That tracker, whoever he is, has seen through every trick the Kid and I have used; we're going to have to do something soon." Heyes glanced around in search of the familiar landmark.

"How much further? You _**sur**_**e **you know where you're going?"

"Of course I remember," Heyes muttered, "It should be right about here."

"Well, _nothin'_ looks familiar to me so far," Curry stated flatly, "Not much shelter here -"

"We're not looking for shelter and nothing _should_ look familiar to you; you weren't with me the last time I was here. We had split up, Wheat and Preacher with me, Kyle and Lobo with you. You took off in the other direction. We lost the posse -" he stopped and a dimpled smile appeared on the outlaw's face.

"There it is - this way!" Heyes called over his shoulder and pointed towards an odd-shaped rock. His smile deepened. "That posse'll never credit us with half the nerve to even attempt what I have in mind."

Curry let his horse follow his partner's blindly into the shaded area. He didn't care _where_ they went, grateful for any chance to stop; protecting their backs had its disadvantages. _It'll be good to breathe somethin' besides trail dust...an' Heyes - you an' I really need to talk..._

But it was not meant to be.

More than thirty minutes later, after miles of upwards, strenuous climbing, horses stumbling on the rocky terrain as they scrambled for footing, the outlaws fighting to catch their breath in the thinning altitude, Heyes held up a gloved hand, the signal to stop. Both men reached for their canteens; they slid off their horses, their boots hitting the ground with loud thuds.

After gulping down swallows of the tepid water, Curry leaned back against his horse and turned to his cousin. "Heyes...I've got...somethin' -"

Hands on his knees, Heyes held up a hand and shook his head. "Me, too...a plan...don't have... much time...I'll explain...as we...go along..."

Eyes closed, Curry nodded, then gasped in surprise and winced at the sharp stab of pain that shot through him when Heyes grabbed him by both arms. He had to clamp his teeth together to stifle the sharp cry that rose in his throat.

"We send...the horses…down the trail...posse should...follow 'em...give us…a chance...some time...to make our escape." Heyes punctuated his words with emphatic squeezes on the Kid's upper arms; a motion which caused a fresh wave of pain to shoot through the injured man each time his partner did so.

Too weary to argue, Curry's reply was automatic. "Sure...Heyes...whatever you say..." When the hands increased their hold even more, he sucked in his breath and twisted away with a quick step backwards in an effort to force Heyes to release his grip. The maneuver worked. Curry raised his head, his brow furrowed as he took in their surroundings.

"Hey - wait…hold on...jus' one minute..." The Kid drew a ragged breath, "After that...then what?...We'll be stuck...out here...in the middle of…nowhere... without horses!" In his frustration he lashed out at the only person available, "So, how're we...s'posed to get...anywhere... without horses?...Jus' _where_...do ya think...we're gonna make...our escape _to_?" he waved an arm at the vast emptiness that surrounded them.

Heyes deftly avoided both the questions and his partner's eyes. "Just get your gear...we've got to…get the horses…outta here now...or we won't be…doing anything...'cept riding along…all tied up…with that posse!" He pivoted about and began to loosen his saddlebags.

A look of skepticism upon his face, Curry shook his head. "Sure hope you haven't got some kinda brain fever from ridin' in the sun too long," he muttered. His brow furrowed even more. _There had been that one time when Heyes had forgotten to keep his hat on... (**)_

For the whole entire two weeks he'd tended to his ailing partner, Curry had been an unwilling participant in the drama, held captive and forced to listen to Heyes and his weird imagination as he'd ranted and raved in his delirium. The Kid shuddered at the vivid memories his thoughts had conjured up.

_It had been awful...a real livin' nightmare, complete with dreams of rottin' flesh an' talkin' corpses..._

He'd hoped to be spared from having to experience something like that ever again! Curry darted a quick look sideways, somewhat reassured when he saw the familiar black hat that rested upon his partner's head. He cleared his throat. "Heyes, there's somethin' I -"

"Save it!"

"But I think -"

"We don't have time for you to be thinking right now!" Heyes cut him off, "You can tell me all about it later - like when we're NOT being chased by a blood-thirsty posse!"

Curry expelled a frustrated breath and walked over to the far side of his horse, first and foremost because it took him out of Heyes' sight. He tugged his jacket free and managed to get his arms inside the sleeves with minimal discomfort. The Kid leaned forward to rest his head against his horse. After a moment, he blew out a resigned sigh and began to loosen his gear. _Well, Heyes, so much for lettin' you know 'bout bein' shot. Sure hope you're right an' there'll be a chance later on..._

As Curry reached up a hand to pull down his saddlebags he finalized his decision. _I know you, Heyes...if you find out about the wound now, you're gonna insist on taking the time to patch me up, an' right now isn't the best time for you to be playin' doctor - not with that posse breathing down our necks._

It wouldn't be the first time they'd had to delay tending to a wound. "An' it probably won't be the last time, neither," Curry added under his breath. He held himself to blame for putting them in even more danger; he was sure Heyes would agree that it had been a pretty stupid thing to do. "I'm worse'n a walk-off!" he mumbled.

"Huh?"

Curry whipped around with a guilty start at the sound of the voice that came from right behind him. "Nothin'," he mumbled.

Heyes gave Curry a questioning glance when he saw his partner was still in the midst of pulling his saddlebag loose from his horse.

Kid chose to ignore the look and went back to completing his task under the watchful eyes of his cousin. When he was done they slapped at the horses' flanks with their hats and yelled; the animals took off down the trail at a furious gallop.

"Grab your things and follow me!" Heyes turned away.

"Whatever you say, Heyes." Sometimes it was easier to just go along with what Heyes said; it saved bent down to pick up his gear and it hit him like a runaway freight train which direction Heyes was heading. The sandy-haired outlaw straightened up slowly and then stood stock-still to stare at his partner's back.

Heyes had reached the rim of the cliff and rose up on tip-toe to peek over the edge. "Sure don't remember it being _that_ much of a drop," he muttered with an involuntary gulp. The quick glance he shot over his shoulder revealed that Kid hadn't budged. He raised his eyes to look in the other man's face.

Curry's gear dropped from his hand. "You _cannot _be thinkin' of doin' what I think you're thinkin'!" His words were stilted, as if being forced out.

"Now, Kid, remember how this works; I'm the one who does the thinking -"

"NO WAY, _Hannibal!" _Curry growled, "Not this time!"

That was Heyes' first clue as to what degree the Kid's temper had reached.

"Just listen -"

"NO!"

"Kid, would you -"

"NO! This _CAN'T_ be what you've been thinkin'! This is - _it's jus' plain loco - that's what it is, an' so are YOU!"_

Despite the seriousness of the situation, the corners of Heyes' mouth turned up. _I knew you'd say that_.

Curry's emotions had escalated until they reached the boiling point; he didn't even make an attempt to keep them in check.

"An' you can jus' wipe that smile off your face! You don't honestly think I'd think this was a _good_ idea - do you? Are you gonna stand there an' tell me that this is _ALL _you could come up with after all that time you spent thinkin'?" he snorted.

Already edgy with pain, exhaustion combined with frustration to put Curry in an even lousier frame of mind. Kid directed a sizzling glare at his partner across the distance that separated them. "You wanna know what I think, Heyes?" he yelled. Without giving the other man a chance to answer he continued, "Well, I'm gonna tell you - I think that if _**this**_ is what you think, you have yourself another think a-comin'!"

**0000000**

** For more background on this very colorful - and entertaining - Heyes and Curry adventure, be sure to read the story, "Across The Variola Desert," **written by cdbuckshot**. It can be found at: page/Across+the+Variola+Desert


	2. Keep Me In Your Sight

**CHAPTER 2**

"**KEEP ME IN YOUR SIGHT"**

His gear secured around his waist with a rope, Heyes took a step towards Curry.

"Hold it right there!" Curry growled, holding up a hand. "Don't even _think_ of comin' any closer - there's nothin' you can say or do that'll convince me to do what you're thinkin'!"

Heyes' eyes flickered to the cliffs then back to his partner.

"You've gotta be kidding!" Curry hissed, his blue eyes wide with emotion.

Heyes edged closer; palms up in front of him, he began to speak in the tone one might use to placate a fractious child. "Kid, listen, this isn't just _a _chance, it's our _only_ chance. If there were any other way..." Heyes shook his head. "After being chased by that posse for the last five days, neither you nor I have the strength to outrun them anymore."

The expression on Curry's face never altered; Heyes lowered his hands to his sides.

"You and I both know they're not going to give up. You don't want to spend the next twenty years in a prison cell - do you?" Heyes spared another glance towards the cliff, then back to Curry. "I know it looks like it _might_ be a long fall, but I checked and there's plenty of water. The water will break -"

"That's a great word to use, Heyes - _break_. An' that's jus' what I'm afraid of - what'll get broken - or maybe what won't!" His voice charged with emotion, Curry continued, "An' as for spendin' twenty years behind bars, I'd still be alive an' in one piece! Maybe we'd even be lucky enough to get separate cells - on opposite ends of the prison! At least maybe then I _might_ be safe from you an' your loco ideas!" The Kid had definitely reached the end of his rope; with eyes the color or cobalt, his body went rigid as he assumed a gunfighter's stance.

Clue number two as to Curry's frame of mind. Not one trace of a smile could be found on his face and there was the familiar obstinate set to his chin that Heyes recognized all too well. As the dark-haired man took this all in, he dared another step and braced himself.

"Aw, c'mon, Kid," he cajoled and hooked his thumbs into his belt, "you don't really mean that; you're just all wore out and so am I."

Curry's glare only intensified.

Outwardly calm, Heyes' thoughts were running a mile a minute. _As stubborn as you can be, Kid, when you get in this mood I know I'm in for one humdinger of a fight! It's unfortunate we don't have the luxury of time for my usual patience and finesse. Guess I'll just have to fight fire with fire; I only need to get your attention focused on something else for just a few seconds. _He sent a silent plea to the powers that be, "Please don't let my silver tongue fail me now," and pinned his cousin with a look that had caused many a man on the receiving end of it to back down in seconds.

"Look," he began, his persuasive tone becoming one that brooked no argument, "we don't have much time before that posse gets here. IF we're lucky, they won't know we're here and they'll keep on riding, chasing after our horses. Problem is, we don't have any idea how far the horses got; all we can do is hope they kept on running to buy us a few extra minutes. If luck's _not _on our side, and the animals _did_ stop, that posse'll double back - be here in no time - and then you and I will have the next twenty years to think about what we _should_ have done!"

Curry glowered at Heyes in silence as his partner continued to press his case.

"After we jump, we'll float downstream a bit and find us a nice quiet place to make camp. Why, that posse would _never_ expect us to do something like this."

"I'm with the posse on that one," Curry snapped, breaking his silence, "_**I**_don't expect us to do something like this!"

"Think about it, Kid, once we lose 'em we can finally rest. Besides having the element of surprise on our side, no one would be following us. C'mon, it'll be just like when we were kids down by the ol' swimming hole. Remember that time when we played hooky - when we dammed up the water and built that raft? We pretended to be Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn." Heyes smiled that special smile of his, the one that was usually guaranteed to get him what he wanted, with everyone except the one person who knew him best.

Curry's look spoke volumes. "Sure, Heyes, jus' like the ol' swimmin' hole," he snapped, "but with one great BIG difference -_ that was jus' a rock! _This_ - this is a MOUNTAIN! _I also remember YOU tellin' me to jump feet first, right before Joey Jenkins pushed me an' I almost broke my ankle when I hit that stupid rock! Ruined most of my summer; not to mention that neither one of us could sit down after our pa's got done with us!"

Heyes' grin increased at the memory. "Most?" he quirked a brow at his cousin.

"Enough!" Curry retorted, "It wasn't funny then an' it sure ain't funny now! You keep right on smilin', thinkin' I'm gonna give in an' do this jus' 'cos you say it's a good plan an' it'll save our hides, but this time you're wrong! I don't havta think about it, I'm _not_ gonna change my mind."

While Curry exercised his lungs, Heyes had worked his way a few steps closer. He was pleased with the progress he was making until the Kid moved his right hand to rest on his hip. The dark-haired man came to a standstill when he recognized sign number three, but kept his gaze fixed on his partner, his eyes never breaking contact with the other man's. He sent a disarming smile his cousin's way.

Curry wasn't buying it. "That's not gonna work, Heyes," he growled, "I _know _you, remember?"

Heyes' smile never faltered. _ No problem, Kid, I'll just switch to plan B. _"That's right, you do," he chuckled, "and if you can remember that much about that day, then you'll also recall that I was the only one who was in any real trouble. You had the injured foot - along with everyone's sympathy, I might add. But, when you found out that I was going to take all the blame, you just couldn't stand it…could you?" Heyes arched a brow.

Although Curry began to fidget under his partner's scrutiny, he didn't respond.

"Yep," Heyes forged ahead, "you just _had_ to come hopping out, sprained ankle and all, trying to stop me. It's funny, but what I remember most is that I couldn't believe YOU would be loco enough to want to be in as much trouble as I was!" He shot a smug look at the Kid. "Guess loco ideas just run in the family...don't they, cousin?"

When Curry relaxed his pose and his hand dropped back down to his side, Heyes breathed a sigh of relief; this was the opportunity he had been waiting for. The dark-haired outlaw didn't waste a single second.

"Time's up," he took the last two steps needed to bring him in front of his friend. "We can't afford to wait around any longer. Sorry, Kid, trust me-"

"You ain't got anythin' to be sorry 'bout, Heyes." A mocking smile accompanied his words as Curry took two steps sideways; steps that kept him just out of Heyes' reach. "You jus' go right ahead an' jump - if you wanna; I'll take my chances goin' down the other side of the mountain. Jus' nice, _little_ jumps, you know."

Keeping a wary eye on the other man, the Kid reached down to grab his gear. "_Maybe_ we'll meet up somewhere down there," he jerked his head in the direction of the swirling water, "That is, IF you make it. An' another thing, don't say 'trust me', every time you do -"

Whatever else Curry was about to say was cut off mid-stream when a hand snaked out and grabbed him by the collar of his sheepskin coat. He was swung around in a half-arc that brought him precariously near the edge.

Taking a deep breath, Heyes grabbed his partner around the waist and pushed. Despite a last ditch effort by the Kid digging his heels into the ground, they lost their balance and both outlaws toppled backwards over the edge of the cliff.

And then?

Then, both men experienced the sensation of falling…down, down, down, spiraling downward, the wind whistling past them as the water rushed up to meet them.

It has been said that fear can be a great motivator. It is also true that it can cause a temporary memory lapse.

Thus it was that despite his extreme level of pain, Curry was able to maintain a strangle hold around his partner's neck, rendering the normally verbose Hannibal Heyes bereft of speech. Due to that fact, only one voice and one solitary word were to be heard as the two cousins plummeted towards what Curry surely believed would be their death.

"HHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS!"

**0000000**

_Alas, dear reader, other than that one solitary word, neither Curry's nor Heyes' thoughts as they plummeted towards the murky waters that awaited them below are to be found printed here. Instead, I shall leave it to your fertile imagination. _

_Knowing Jedediah "Kid" Curry as you do, take your time; savor the moment. Have a bit of fun, as you imagine the pithy words that might have spewed forth from his mouth, had the man been capable of speech._

_And, if you like, spare a moment (or two) to bestow a bit of sympathy and understanding upon the poor, unfortunate soul to whom the Kid might have addressed those words to... _

**0000000**

They hit the water hard but still together with Curry maintaining his death grip of a bear hug around his partner's neck. As the shock of the cold water hit them, the Kid's hold on Heyes slackened. The dark-haired outlaw took advantage of the situation and kicked with both feet to propel himself away in order to get his bearings.

_Which way was up_?

The disoriented man searched for his partner in the swirling waters. Catching sight of the Kid's coat amidst thrashing body parts, he grabbed the back of it and began to tow the man behind him as he swam. Not only did he have to struggle against the current to fight his way to the top, but the Kid's body was dead weight, and an additional burden.

_It's like trying to swim through molasses in the middle of January! _Heyes groaned. _We're not out of the woods yet and I've still got a good distance to go; sure hope I can hold my breath! _Drawing on an inner strength, Heyes broke through the surface before he blacked out and tugged his cousin up alongside him.

"Lay…on your back…and float," he gasped.

Curry was all too willing to oblige. Truth to tell, he would have been hard pressed to do otherwise. Now that he was reasonably sure he was not going to die, the Kid took stock of his injuries. _Feels like I've been sucker-punched an' then run over by a stampedin' herd of beeves! _he groaned. But even that pain wasn't enough to take his mind off the burning sensation in his left shoulder.

Allowing the current to take them downstream, the two outlaws breathed in great gulps of air, filling their tortured lungs with oxygen, grateful they would live to tell the tale of how they had survived the fall. Both men were full of gratitude, but each for very different reasons.

Curry thanked his lucky stars above that in addition to surviving the fall he was still in one piece. The whole trip down had been divided between cursing Heyes and bargaining with the Almighty, pleading for one final opportunity to deal with his cousin as he saw fit.

Heyes was grateful, as well as inordinately pleased with himself, because his plan was an unqualified success. They were alive, they hadn't hit one single rock and, best of all, they were free from the posse. A small grin tugged at the corners of his mouth as he caught sight of Curry out of the corner of his eye.

_I have a hunch our little jump off the cliff was a piece of cake compared to what's ahead. All I have to do now is keep some distance between me and the Kid, at least until he's had time to cool down a bit. Once he's had time to think things over, I'm sure he'll agree that it was our only option. _

**0000000**

The posse never did figure out how the two outlaws managed to elude them. The tracker followed the trail that led him right up to the ledge that overlooked the swirling river below, but he never gave credence to the possibility that the men could have jumped.

"White men outlaws would have to be plenty loco to do something like that." And, as far as he knew, Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry might be wanted, but they were not loco. His dark eyes somber, his expression just as solemn, he squatted down to study the tracks left in Mother Earth one final time.

The Apache shielded his eyes to look up into the sky and then shifted his gaze to stare out across the river at the shadows that lengthened with the setting sun and rose to his feet. Faced with the unenviable task of informing the disgruntled posse that they would be heading home empty-handed, the tracker shook his head and turned away from the cliffs with a soft grunt.

_No, the white men hunters who wore the silver stars on their chests were not going to be very happy when he told them that the two outlaws had vanished like Spirits in the sky..._

**0000000 **

Unbeknownst to the posse, several miles downstream Heyes and Curry had come across a place with water shallow enough they could touch bottom. The two waterlogged men moved closer to the shore, dragged their bodies up onto the riverbank and collapsed right where they lay.

A few moments later, Heyes turned his head just enough so he could see his partner.

Face down, Curry's head rested on his arm; his shoulders shuddering with the heaving breaths he took.

The dark-haired man frowned as the breaths escalated into a bout of coughing which forced the Kid to roll over onto his side, his back to Heyes. When his partner curled a protective arm around his stomach, Heyes was unable to maintain his silence any longer. "Hey - you alright?" He asked, concern etching his face.

Curry rolled over to lie flat on his back and tried to ignore both the pain and his cousin's voice. _It shouldn't hurt this much to breathe!_ he groaned. Not long after that the coughing spasm subsided, leaving him even more weak and irritable than before.

"Kid?"

"Go away…"

"At least listen -"

Motionless, eyes closed, Curry's words were clipped. "No, _Hannibal_, I am _**NOT**_ all right…an' I am _**NOT**_listenin' - or talkin' - to you _ever again_!"

"_Sounds _like you're talking to me," Heyes began. When there was no response, he continued, "Aw, c'mon, Kid," and propped himself up on his elbow, "you know as well as I do, that if we hadn't jumped-"

"Leave…me…alone!" Curry growled.

"You don't really mean that -"

"I **DO** mean it - jus' shut up! I've had it! It's over, finished - done! You got your way as usual. I know I'm askin' the impossible, but could you at least _try_ to quit talkin'? Better yet, if you can't stop, jus' go away - far away! There's not a part of me that doesn't hurt; the last thing I wanna hear -"

"Hey, hold on! **YOU** wait a minute!" Bristling with indignation, Heyes pulled himself upright. "What do you mean, 'I got _my_ way as usual'? I don't always get my way, sometimes _you_ get your way! You've got to admit, that's not a fair - or accurate – assumption -"

"Fair? Accurate?" Curry snorted and turned sideways in time to catch the annoyed scowl on his cousin's face. "You know what, Heyes? You sure are easy to rile," he chuckled, "As good ol' Grampa Curry used to say, 'Don't get mad, get even'." He turned away to add under his breath, _An' the way I've got it figured, cousin, we're more'n even already!_

Heyes stared at his friend. "You're like a piece of puzzle. Just when I think I've got you pegged, you go and do something that blows it all to smithereens."

"Maybe," Curry shrugged. Under the close scrutiny of his partner, he pulled himself up with caution. He started to reach down to tug off a boot, but thought better of it and switched to using his foot instead. With careful maneuvering, he achieved his goal with minimal discomfort and, even better, without arousing Heyes' suspicion.

Once the Kid had the boot in hand, he turned it upside-down. In silence the two men watched the water drain out and form a puddle. This soon disappeared as the sunbaked ground greedily absorbed it with indecent haste.

"You know, I feel more like a drowned rat than a puzzle piece, an' if I don't get outta these wet things soon I'm gonna be a sick or dead one. You're in the same shape," the Kid pointed out as he removed his other boot in the same manner as the first one.

"Good point; the sooner the better. And, since every stitch of clothing we own is soaked, we need to make use of what sun we can. Right now there's nothing more important than us getting out of these wet clothes and putting something warm into our bellies; everything else can wait."

Curry stopped what he was doing to eye his friend in silence. "You sure about that, Heyes? N_othin's_ more important?"

Heyes subjected his partner to a searching look before he replied. "Not one thing," he repeated, "But we'd better get a move on, we're burning what little daylight we've got left sitting around here jabbering."

On his feet first, Heyes reached down to offer the other man a hand up. His hand still clasped in his cousin's, Curry's blue eyes locked with brown as the two men exchanged a look.

They were alive, and they were together; they could face anyone - or anything.

**0000000**

It didn't take long to find a suitable place to make camp; they laid their things out to dry on the nearby rocks and bushes. That task completed, the men began to gather firewood.

It was now Curry's turn to keep the distance between them; he gradually increased his search perimeter without arousing his partner's suspicion. Without his coat, the outlaw was left with only a shirt for protection. He'd chosen the darkest one he owned in the hopes that any oozing blood would not be too obvious. He grimaced as he recalled what an ordeal it had been trying to justify wearing the wet clothing to his partner.

Having stripped down to long johns, Heyes had stopped hanging his wet clothes on a rock to raise his eyebrows in surprise when the Kid walked into their makeshift camp buttoning up his shirt. Unable to ignore the look, Curry was on the defensive.

"What?"

"I thought the idea was to get _out _of our wet things?"

"It was and I did."

"Well, getting out of one wet shirt to put on another wet one is -"

"Smart," Curry interjected, "This one's drier."

Heyes cocked his head to one side. "Oh…really?"

"Yep."

Tossing his clothing onto the rock Heyes began to head in Curry's direction.

"What're you doing'?" Jed eyed his partner with suspicion.

"Just wanted to test out your theory; don't worry, it won't hurt a bit."

"I'm not worried - it ain't gonna hurt at all." Curry pulled his gun out of his holster, pointed it towards Heyes and held out his left hand, palm up. "Give me your gun."

Heyes stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes riveted on Kid's Colt. "What?"

"I said…give me your gun."

"I heard you...I meant why?"

"You know, it sure would make things a whole lot easier if you said what you meant."

"Well, you kinda surprised me; I didn't think I'd said anything to make you want to shoot me!"

"Shoot you, huh?" A small grin tugged at the corners of Curry's mouth. "Well, you're right; so far you haven't _said_ anything to get yourself shot."

Heyes searched Curry's face. "Oh, I get it; this is about me saving your life then? About how we jumped off that cliff and escaped from the posse."

"Jumped? No, you _pushed _me off that mountain, remember? You know, Heyes, gettin' _pushed _off a mountain, now that might make _some_ people a tad upset."

Arms akimbo on his hips, Heyes dared to grin back. "_Some_ people would be grateful that they were still alive to threaten the person who _helped _them _jump_ off a cliff and saved their life."

"Maybe...but as I said before, you did not _help_ me jump; I was _pushed_...and I still want your gun; c'mon, hand it over," Curry stretched out a hand once again.

Heyes' arms dropped to his sides and his grin disappeared. "You really _**ARE**_ serious - aren't you?"

"Yep."

"Fine!" Heyes pivoted about, muttering as he stalked over to where his belongings lay in a pile. "Pushed, jumped...at least we're alive! Of all the ingrates..." After rummaging around a bit he straightened and walked back to stand in front of Curry.

"Here!" he snapped and held out his gun.

Curry took the proffered weapon. As soon as it was in his hands he began to shake his head.

"What? No, wait - I mean why? _What_ I want to know is _why_ you want my gun? And why you're shaking your head!"

"You know that little swim we took? Well, your gun's in even worse shape than mine. It's gonna take me a real long time to get 'em back in workin' order; we're not gonna be able to shoot anythin' for awhile. Everythin's wet - the barrel, the bullets, gunpowder..." He cocked his head to the side and favored his partner with a quizzical look. "What'd you think I wanted your gun for?"

Heyes' chin dropped to his chest. When he lifted his head to look into his cousin's face, there was a twinkle in his eyes, "Just another piece of that puzzle, right, Kid?"

Curry's answer was a tired grin as he turned away and went in search of a safe place for the guns to dry until he could get around to checking them out more thoroughly. "Thank you both," he said as he looked down at the Colt .45's before turning back to watch his partner light the fire."I think you got his mind off my shirt pretty well..."

Although a lot of thought had gone into justifying his reasoning, conflicting feelings kept the young outlaw company as he scouted for wood; none of them decreased the guilt Curry felt about his decision. Angry with himself, he kicked a rock across the clearing. "I've already kept gettin' shot a secret this long – why should another hour matter?"

Another big factor had been food, which had been scarce to nonexistent for them the past five days. While he himself could care less about eating anything right now, he knew Heyes' stomach had to be going on empty. _After he gets some food he oughta be in a better mood to hear my news._ _If only I hadn't taken the chance..._While he knew that his real motive was to stall for time, he was also keenly aware of the fact that it was not going to be an easy thing to confess his stupidity to Heyes. _I knew better..._

**0000000**

Dropping an armload of wood near the fire, Heyes looked around for his partner. It didn't take long to spot Curry. Head bowed, the man was leaning back against a tree.

"Everything okay?" he called out and walked over to join him.

"Yeah, jus' tired...I guess. Keepin' outta that posse's reach plumb did me in."

"I know what you mean. Well, let's get some supper, call it an early night; you'll feel better in the morning."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Curry straightened up and moved away from the support of the tree.

"Me too, Kid," Heyes gave his partner a hearty clap on the back.

The blow caused Curry to pitch forward; he sank to his knees with a groan.

Heyes stared down in puzzled concern. "You must be more tired than you thought!"

"Yeah..." Curry muttered through clenched teeth.

For the second time that day, Heyes held out a hand and pulled his partner to his feet. "Tell you what, why don't I finish supper and you go ahead and wash up?"

"Whatever you say, Heyes..."

"Why can't you be this agreeable all the time?"

"Cos this involves food," Curry gave his partner a lopsided grin, "an' I know better'n to get the cook mad at me!"

When his cousin took off towards the river, Heyes was still chuckling; it felt good to be able to tease each other. _With that posse off our tails at last and no other immediate concerns, we can afford to relax our guard a bit. _Heyes thought back and it dawned on him that he couldn't remember the last time the two of them had been given the opportunity to just be themselves.

**0000000**


	3. With You Right Beside Me

**Chapter 3 **

"**With You Right Beside Me"**

Free from Heyes' scrutiny, Curry made his way wearily over to the water's edge where he sank down to his knees and dipped his bandana down into the water before he draped it over the wound. After waiting a few moments he removed it and a deep sigh of resignation escaped him as he stared down at the dark crimson stain on the square of red material he held in his hand.

"Must be why I feel as weak as a newborn kitten," he muttered. _"__**Part**_of the reason, anyways; nothin' like bein' _**thrown **_off a cliff an' seein' your whole life flash before you to sap your strength." With another grimace Kid rinsed the bandana, eyeing the watery red liquid that dripped from it with distaste. "Well, guess that settles that; there's no way I'm gonna be able to hide this from Heyes any longer." He shoved his hat back on his head and rose to his feet with a look of determination on his face.

"Well, there's one good thing, at least I'm only bleedin' in back." The words may have sounded matter-of-fact, but they lacked conviction, for even as he acknowledged the truth of his statement, the Kid took little comfort from it. The significance of the words confirmed something he'd only guessed at and would rather not think about too much right now; just one more thing Heyes would be forced to deal with.

"I wish it was all over an' done with!" Curry muttered. He'd picked this spot because of its location, far enough away he was sure Heyes would never come across the mess. Among other things, he'd had to leave his other shirt and Henley behind on his first trip down here. Between the bullet hole and the blood, both were in a pretty sorry state.

There was another motive behind his thinking. Besides the sight of the blood which had caused his stomach to churn, it had brought back bad memories; a pain-filled recollection from when he and Heyes had found the bodies of their relatives. Gut-wrenching memories of how they had tried to salvage what was left of their loved ones in order to give them a proper burial. It had been a terrible ordeal for the two young boys to experience, but they had survived.

_Well, not 'they,' _he was quick to correct himself; _Heyes was the one who had done most of the work._ The older boy had been the one to deal with all the blood and carnage, not allowing his cousin to help until the bodies were covered up. But as hard as he'd tried, Heyes hadn't been able to hide everything from the younger boy. And what was worse, as much as a young Jed had seen, he knew it didn't amount to a hill of beans compared to what Heyes himself had been subjected to. His resolve became more firm.

"No, I can't - _I won't_ - let Heyes down again. This time I'll make sure he doesn't have to deal with everythin' on his own!" Curry vowed. "I can at least spare him that much; I owe it to him! All I have to do is jus' tell him what happened, an' then he won't have any reason to see this. 'Sides that, he'll be too busy tellin' me what a walk-off I am for not lettin' him know in the first place."

Curry stared down at the pile of blood-stained clothing without enthusiasm. "I'll come back an' bury 'em later...when I don't feel so lousy." He turned away to head back to camp. "Guess I'm doin' a good enough job of hidin' things so far," he congratulated himself.

**0000000**

A frown on his face, Heyes observed Curry's progress, "He looks plumb worn out. It's a good thing we can rest up here for a while; we can both do with the break." As tired as his partner appeared, Heyes was reasonably sure the Kid was unaware of his watchfulness. He busied himself by the fire as the other man entered the camp.

Curry came to an abrupt halt when his nostrils were immediately assaulted by the pungent smell of rabbit that roasted over the fire and his stomach began to churn a warning. _Wonder how long I can hold my breath?_

"I figured that hare would get you back here on the double," Heyes teased. Taking a quick look over his shoulder he inhaled a deeply. "Mmmm, mouth-watering, huh? What do you say, Kid?"

With eating the furthest thought from his mind for once, the Kid attempted to draw in what he hoped would pass for a convincing enough sniff and tried not to gag. He turned away to eye the rabbit. "Words cannot describe the way I feel at the moment," he forced out with false cheerfulness.

"My thoughts exactly!" Heyes smacked his lips in appreciation. "So, how hungry are you?"

"I'm so hungry I think I could eat a horse!" Curry returned.

"Well, since we are without horses at the moment, you'll just have to settle for rabbit tonight, Mr. Curry; tomorrow you can go out and track us down a horse or two."

"Not even gonna think 'bout tomorrow," Curry injected enthusiasm into his voice, "Let's get started on that hare right now!"

"Nothing wrong with your appetite!" Heyes flashed the other man a knowing grin and shook his head. No matter how tired he was, the Kid could always find strength enough to eat.

The men ate in companionable silence, too hungry for words to get in the way. At least that was the impression Curry strove for; the less said, the better. He managed to hide most of his uneaten food when Heyes wasn't looking. He even pretended to take drinks of water now and then, biding his time as he waited on his partner to finish. He set his empty plate down on the ground beside him while he contemplated how best to broach the subject. _It's not like I can jus' come flat out an' announce somethin' like this…_

Washing down the last of his meal, Heyes grinned when he glanced over and took in the Kid's clean plate; not even a scrap remained on it. He leaned back, glad that the rabbit had chanced to cross his path as he scouted for firewood; even without a gun he was still a Champeen tracker. A relaxed feeling came over him while he enjoyed a second cup of coffee and listened to the sounds of dusk as it settled in, and around, them.

The campfire burned bright, throwing dancing shadows across the camp in the twilight. Knots of wood erupted every now and then with a loud crackling hiss or pop. The lyrical songs of birds combined with chirps of crickets and croaks of frogs blended together to create an evening serenade. River water splashing over the rocks and the hooting of an owl added to the mood of ambiance. Howls of coyotes somewhere off in the distance lent a final haunting touch to the atmosphere.

_All in all,_ Heyes reflected, _it's really quite peaceful; a man could almost be lulled to sleep while he listened to it. _He took another sip of his coffee, inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, savoring the opportunity to experience and appreciate it all. _This is nice_, the dark-haired man mused; _maybe the Kid and I should take advantage of it and spend a few extra days here. There's no need to be in any rush to leave. We could just sit around and take it easy; use the time to get our strength back._

Across from him, a not-so peaceful Curry took a deep breath of his own then released it, all too aware that what he was about to do would destroy the mood his partner was enjoying so much.

"Think I'll go on down to the river an' wash up a bit," he announced without preamble.

Heyes peered at him over the rim of his coffee cup. "Whatcha got left to wash up, Kid?" he chuckled, then went on in a amused tone, "We spent half the day swimming in the river, and you just washed up for supper."

"I jus' wanna wash up after eatin '- if that's okay with you!" Curry snapped, "I didn't realize you were keepin' track of my bathin' habits!"

Heyes arched his brows and shot his cousin a look before he spoke. "Wasn't keeping track; you just go right ahead and wash whatever you want - sorry I asked!"

Curry rose to his feet. "Forget it - I'm the one that should be sorry!" Making an abrupt pivot, he turned and began to walk away. "You're right; there's no reason to take it out on you!"

Heyes was left to stare after his cousin with a perplexed expression on his face.

Curry reached the shelter of the boulders again. With an angry motion he jerked the bandana free and stared down at the piece of material he held in his hand. _What'd you expect - a miracle? Yeah, well maybe when hell freezes over!_ He gave a derisive snort. Miracles weren't in the habit of coming his way. Forced to acknowledge the undeniable truth, the outlaw expelled a drawn-out breath. _Well, that settles it, there's nothin' else I can do_. He laid the bandana out on a rock while he washed his face and scrubbed his hands until all traces of blood were gone.

It was a very reluctant Kid Curry who began the trek back towards camp. _I'm dead tired with a shoulder that feels like it's on fire, an' I'm about to tell Heyes I've been shot; things can't possibly get any worse!_

**0000000**

Stymied by Curry's outburst, Heyes rose to his feet as his partner strode away. Arms akimbo on his hips, he watched the sandy-haired man walk down to the same spot he'd gone to earlier; the one hidden by the big boulders. His eyes narrowed in speculation as he strove to figure out what was wrong with the picture. _Something wasn't right and whatever it was, that something somehow involved Kid. _His nimble mind worked to sort the puzzle pieces out and a few minutes later he snapped his fingers.

"It's simple, it's the distance that not adding up right! Okay, Kid, so tell me why...as tired as you are, how come you want to go all the way over there to wash up? Why not someplace closer? What did you find down there that's so interesting, hmm? Well, there's one sure way to find out and there's no better time to do it than right now!"

Curry returned, looking as if every step he trudged might be his last.

Heyes searched his friend's face; there wasn't even a trace of the Kid's usual smile. He strode towards the other man, his steps brisk.

Curry came to a halt as he met up with Heyes. "Heyes, there's somethin' I need -"

"It'll have to wait until I get back."

"Back? But -"

"No buts, Kid, you've convinced me; think I'll go and wash up a bit, too." Heyes brushed his way past the open-mouthed outlaw.

Curry lifted his head and then gave a groan of frustration as he watched his partner walk away. "Sure, you go right ahead an' do that, it's jus' that I was all set to tell you somethin'..." his voice trailed off when he realized he was talking to himself, "somethin' kinda important...nevermind - I give up!" he muttered, "Every time I try to tell you..."

Curry did his best not to jar his shoulder as he leaned against a nearby boulder, unwilling to stir up the pain that had finally subsided to a dull, aching throb, much like the pounding in his head. Then, when Heyes was far enough away, he slowly slid down the rest of the way to the ground and leaned back, grateful for the solid support the rock provided.

_I'll be better off if I'm already sittin' down, that way I won't have as far to fall. Maybe Heyes'll wait 'til I'm feelin' better? Now there's a cheery thought, something to look forward to..._Curry closed his eyes to await Heyes' return. The peaceful sounds of twilight that had wrapped the Kid in a temporary cocoon of false security were shattered by something loud enough to resemble a safe being blown up by dynamite - lots of dynamite!

_"JEDEDIAH...EZEKIEL...CURRY!"_

_What now?_ Curry froze and his eyes flew open in surprise. _Sheesh, I haven't been called that since...? _He searched his mind, but came up blank. _I'm pretty sure Heyes has never..._He frowned. _Leastways I sure don't remember him ever doin' it,_ he finally conceded. No disrespect to Grampa Curry, but his cousin knew he disliked his middle name almost as much as Heyes detested Hannibal. Kid frowned as he pondered what he had - or hadn't - done to incur his partner's wrath. "I haven't even told him 'bout gettin' shot yet, an' the way things are goin', it looks like I'm never gonna get the chance!" he grumbled.

Heyes stormed back into camp and slid to a grinding halt at the seated man's feet.

The look on Curry's face as he caught sight of what Heyes had clenched tight in his fist was a dead giveaway.

A bandana.

_No, not just a bandana - HIS red bandana._ The one he'd forgotten to grab in his haste to get back to camp; the one splattered with his blood. Kid stared at it a few seconds longer before his gaze travelled slowly upwards. As soon as blue eyes made contact with brown the look on his partner's face made Curry wish that he hadn't.

The sandy-haired outlaw realized too late that most of the time he was standing _behind _Heyes, backing him up, while the gang leader was giving someone else that look. The few times he had been on the receiving end had been more than enough to convince Curry that he never wanted to be there again, and yet, here he was. _You knew it was gonna be bad,_ he reminded -mouthed, Kid swallowed, "I -"

Heyes held up a hand silencing him. "What in the hell happened down there? This IS your bandana, isn't it?" the dark-haired outlaw demanded and threw the piece of material on the ground next to Curry.

Curry tracked its flight with his eyes and then stared down at the incriminating piece of evidence with the fervent wish that he had a silver tongue of his own right now. He nodded. "Sorry -"

"_Sorry? You're SORRY?!"_

"Guess I jus' wasn't thinkin -'"

"You got THAT right - you don't have to say ONE more word to convince me!" Brown eyes smoldering dark with their owner's anger, Heyes continued to lash out. "You're absolutely right - you sure _weren't_ thinking! And do you know what else? If you spent half as much time NOT thinking and trying to stay outta trouble as you put _into_ thinking, my life just might be a helluva lot more peaceable - did you ever _think_ of that?!"

Curry remained silent, unsure how - or if - it would be wise to answer. His eyes shifted from the bandana to hazard another look up at the irate man who waited for a reply. What he saw etched on his partner's face only increased the Kid's hesitancy. Heyes' complexion was a few shades lighter than usual and there were tight lines of white around his mouth.

But even more compelling than all that was the look that now occupied his cousin's brown eyes, competing for space with the anger. It was the other look that Curry had hoped never to see in Heyes' eyes ever again for as long as he lived. In that split second things suddenly clicked and Curry realized the real reason behind Heyes' intense show of fury. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, the man who had led a whole entire gang of outlaws was scared. The Kid's feelings of guilt multiplied.

"You weren't supposed to find out like this, I jus' thought -"

"There you go thinking again!"

"We hadn't eaten -"

_"Eaten? Food?_ You were _hungry?_ You _are _kidding - right?" Incredulity warred with anger for prominence on his face as Heyes continued. "Let me get this straight; you're saying that making sure your belly was full was more important than telling me what was going on?" His scowl intensified. "Do you have any idea what went through my head when I saw that...that _mess_? And that brings up a few other points - like WHY is there blood all over and WHY is your bandana soaked with it - what happened down there?"

Curry drew his knees up to his chest and leaned forward to rest his head upon his good arm. "Anyone ever tell you that you ask too many questions, Heyes?" he muttered wearily. "I wasn't hungry, I jus' thought that maybe you..." Curry's voice trailed off. _What's the use? Why am I even tryin'? Heyes is too full of anger to listen. Knowin' why he's so mad doesn't help; he doesn't even know I've been shot yet! Everythin' I did, all that plannin', was for nothin'! Heyes still found the mess, still saw the blood..._"I -"

"Well? I'm still waiting," Heyes snapped, interrupting Curry's silent tirade of self-recrimination and ignoring his attempt to explain. "_What in the hell is going on?"_ he demanded, his patience at an end.

"That's what I was doin', too - waitin'. Waitin' on you to come back so I could tell you -"

"Tell me? Tell me _what?_ I STILL don't know what it is that you haven't told me yet!"

Curry's head jerked up. "Maybe if you'd shut up long enough to listen I _could_ tell you!" he shouted, raising his voice for the first time.

"I'm listening now!" Heyes snapped.

"I was tired; I forgot to clean up -"

"Tired? I'm _tired _of hearing excuses, Kid. First you're hungry, then you're tired -"

"I wasn't hungry - _YOU_ were -"

Heyes' voice, as well as the atmosphere around him, underwent a rapid change; both become ominously calm and quiet. Each word he spoke was deliberate and succinct. "For the last time, Kid, I swear if you don't tell me - right now – what is going on, you are going to wish all I did was flatten you'!" His promise was accompanied by a threatening shake of his fist in the seated man's direction.

Curry had no doubt he was right smack dab in the eye of the storm. It might _sound_ as if Heyes had calmed down, but from past experience he knew better than to get lulled into a false sense of security. He took a deep breath. "Well, you see, it's like this..." he began in a subdued tone.

"Huh?" Heyes crouched down next to Curry in exasperation and leaned forward, his brows knit together in a frown. "I didn't quite catch all that…"

"The bandana you found, you're right, it's mine; the blood's mine, too," the Kid mumbled, "I...well, I got shot today," he finished in a rush. Curry closed his eyes, ducked his head and braced himself; he didn't have long to wait.

"You were…WHAT?" Heyes exploded, "WHERE? WHEN? JUST _WHEN _DID YOU GET SHOT? AND WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SOMETHING - WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?" The decibel level increased with every subsequent question, which proved to be rather unfortunate for Kid, since his partner was still right next to him, in very close proximity to his ears.

Curry winced. _On top of gettin' shot, I'll be lucky if I'm not deaf!_ "Do you think maybe you could quit yellin' for jus' one minute - an' listen?"

Faced with the stark reality of the situation and despite his ire, when the other man's words soaked in, Heyes looked Curry over with a critical eye, searching for injury and any signs of blood. Seeing none, his eyes narrowed as he fixed his cousin with a glare.

"Tell me - again - what happened?"

"I said," Curry took a deep breath, "I got shot today. You know, shot – like with a gun? Someone pulls the trigger, out comes a bullet, the bullet hits you an' makes a hole in you -"

"I know what it means," Heyes ground out between teeth clenched tight in frustration, "And this is definitely NOT the time for you to start getting all philosophical on me! Guess I gave you more credit than you deserve, I can't believe that you'd be stupid enough -"

"_Stupid?_ What makes you think _I'm_ the one bein' stupid?" Curry retaliated, "Maybe I was the smart one!"

"What makes _me _think?" Heyes snorted. "You, smart?"

"So when do you think would've been the _right_ time, huh, Heyes? When that posse was breathin' down our necks? Or, maybe right before you threw me off the cliff? Or how 'bout when I almost drowned? You tell me!"

His own anger began to cool down to a slow simmer as Heyes listened to his friend's words. He held up a hand, but Curry was like a locomotive train all fired up and racing down a steep mountain.

"If you think about it, I _did_ try, but no - YOU told me to wait!" Curry mimicked his partner, 'Later, like when we're NOT bein' chased by a posse, Kid; Nothin's more important, Kid; there'll be time later, Kid; Not now, Kid.' An' then jus' a few minutes ago, I tried to tell you again, but you walked right past me, sayin' it could wait 'til later. Well, guess what, Heyes? Later is too late - ain't it?!"

Unconscious of doing so, Curry cradled his wounded arm against his chest in a protective gesture as he searched for the right words.

"There wasn't any _good _time to tell you. Maybe if I'd've told you that I'd been shot straight off, you'd've tried to fix it right then an' there an' we could be in that posse's hands right now, 'stead of hollerin' at each other!" Curry's voice had risen with each sentence as he strove to defend himself then, as suddenly as he'd started, he stopped.

His shoulders slumped, Kid drew in a deep breath and released it slowly before he continued on in a more controlled tone, "It was when we were being chased by that posse, not too long before you came up with that _loco_ plan of yours that almost got both of us killed!"

Heyes had stood up and was in the midst of walking away in order to gather his thoughts together when Curry had first begun his explanation, but upon hearing the last few words, he pivoted around to point a finger of accusation at Curry.

"I don't think _you're_ in any position to be calling _my_ plan loco! I think I've got the 'King of Loco' right here in front of me. You _might_ know him - he's the one who got shot and only waited _HALF A DAY TO TELL ME!"_ Anger and frustration, mingled with fear were fast proving to be a losing combination for Hannibal Heyes. He turned away once more to put some distance between the two of them. Rubbing the back of his neck, he took a few moments before he spoke.

"Where'd you get hit?" He crossed to stand beside Curry, "And just how bad is it?"

His questions were met with silence. Heyes raised a brow and pierced the other man with a searing glare.

"My left shoulder, an'...I don't rightly know," Kid mumbled finally, sounding reluctant to admit even that much. "I haven't been able to see it real well; think it might still be bleedin' a bit though."

"Oh really?" Heyes retorted wryly, "Well, imagine that!" It was only when he knelt down next to Curry that the ex-outlaw became aware of just how tense he was. He'd been holding himself rigid as he strove to keep his emotions in check. "Guess you'd better let me take a look and see what the damage is."

_It's not really Kid I'm angry with,_ he reminded himself, _It's the whole damn, rotten situation; the undeniable fact that one of us is wounded, hurt and in pain- again. _ It was the feeling of quiet desperation that gnawed at him and taunted him with the knowledge of how futile it was for outlaws like Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry to keep trying to catch that elusive amnesty. No matter what they did or how hard they strove to do the right thing, it always ended up this way - always!

"Left side you say?" At Curry's nod, Heyes lifted Kid's shirt and Henley up. It wasn't hard to find the spot where the bullet had entered, but as he examined his cousin's chest, the outlaw's brow furrowed in concentration while his fingers continued to probe around. A few moments later he rested back on his heels with a shake of his head.

"Looks like it's still in there, Kid," he stated in a flat tone.

Curry raised his head a fraction, his shoulders drooped in defeat, all visible signs of fight gone. "Yeah...that's kinda what I figured, too," he admitted, his tone more revealing than the actual words themselves.

Heyes looked deep into his cousin's face. What he saw there, what the young outlaw had kept hidden until now, caused more of his anger to drift away.

"You're right; it _was_ a stupid thing to do," Curry began before Heyes could say a word, "You've got every reason to be mad. I know I never should've sat up in the first place an' I know I should've told you earlier. I mean, I DID try, but you weren't in a listenin' mood. An' then…well, I didn't think there was any point in me tellin' you when neither of us could do a damned thing about it! There jus' didn't seem to be any sense. I was hopin' you wouldn't come across the blood; I never meant for you to see it, Heyes. It was bad enough, the stuff it stirred up for me, I didn't want you to have to deal with it..." the outlaw's voice trailed off. "I'm sorry."

Heyes gave Curry a sharp glance before he nodded. Contrite, curry-blue eyes locked with brunneous ones. When Heyes saw the look of uncertainty etched on his cousin's face, the last remaining vestige of his anger evaporated. Despite his ire, he could well understand the Kid's hesitancy to tell him and he had to admit, Curry was right on two other points as well. There really hadn't been a good time to tell him and if he had known, he would have worried...a lot.

"I'm sorry, too, Kid."

Curry nodded. Now that his suspicions had been confirmed he was all out of aces.

After giving his partner's shoulder a brief squeeze of reassurance, Heyes stood and walked a few feet away to lean his arms and head on a boulder. He didn't have to turn around to know he'd find the Kid still watching him. The dark-haired man frowned as he stared out across the river. A look of grim determination appeared when he realized that the turbulence of the rushing water matched his mood as he contemplated what lie ahead. Both men knew what had to be done and neither one looked forward to any part of it. Heyes drew in a deep breath and released it slowly before he announced to the heavens above in a quiet voice, "It's going to be one helluva night!"

**0000000**

Curry watched Heyes getting things ready in stoic silence.

The dark-haired outlaw worked with a precision born of experience, mentally checking things off as he went through the routine. A well stoked fire, water on to boil, an old shirt torn into strips and a bottle of whiskey; everything was ready.

One last object Curry himself chose to ignore, but that didn't prevent him from knowing what and where it was. Sterilized by the whiskey, it lay next to the fire...and waited. When Heyes held it up for inspection, the sandy-haired outlaw turned his head away and closed his eyes. Unable to shut out his partner's movements, Curry's imagination painted a vivid picture of what he had tried so hard to forget.

With a covert look sideways, Curry saw his own emotional turmoil reflected in his cousin's expression; this wasn't going to be easy for him, either. Even though he might be angry, Heyes would never willfully hurt him. From personal, previous experience they knew that this was going to hurt; there was no way to get around it.

Heyes uncorked the bottle and handed it to Curry with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Drink up, Kid, we need to get started before we lose what's left of the light."

Unable to summon up an answering smile of his own, Curry focused his attention on the bottle in his hand instead. He brought it to his lips and gulped down several swallows before he was forced to stop when a coughing spasm wracked his entire body and set his injured shoulder on fire. Kid pushed the bottle away with a shake of his head.

Heyes reached out a hand to steady his partner. "Easy, catch your breath and then you need to take a few more swallows." He pushed the bottle back up to Kid's mouth.

Curry grimaced but dutifully drank the rest down without further incident. He leaned back and, despite his earlier intentions, his glance strayed to the fire and the object he had tried to ignore. The firelight that reflected off the metal blade gave it an eerie glow and caused a shiver to run down his back.

"Hey," Heyes admonished and shifted his body so that it blocked Curry's view of the fire. He turned to push the knife down further into the glowing coals.

Kid closed his eyes. A moment later he opened them to look up at his cousin. "I know, I -"

"That whiskey started to kick in yet?" Heyes interrupted.

"Yeah, sure...can't feel a thing!" Curry mumbled with a fervent wish that his words were true. He stared at the bottle; there wasn't enough left to finish the job_. Great, jus' what Heyes needs..._

Heyes caught the look on his cousin's face. As they continued to stare at each other, a silent conversation passed between them.

_I trust you._

_I know._

_Do whatever it takes._

_Wish I didn't have to..._

_That makes two of us..._

Heyes knelt down on one knee beside Curry, took the whiskey bottle from his partner's unresisting hand and let it drop to the ground.

"Well, guess we'll just have to move on to plan B then."

"Plan B? We have a plan B?"

"Yep, and I'm going to need your help. Listen up and I'll tell you what to do."

Curry blinked and tried to focus on his partner's swimming face. "You sure…you know…what…you're doin'?" he inquired, his words beginning to slur.

"Just trust me," Heyes' voice was full of confidence. He began to give directions. "The first thing we've got to do is to get you sitting up." Ignoring both the Kid's groan and bleary-eyed look of skepticism, Heyes positioned Curry so that he was away from the rock.

"Uh, huh...now what?"

"You've got the easy part, Kid. See, I grab hold of your arm, and all you have to do it sit there and -"

Heyes' face was the last thing Curry saw as his partner's fist connected with his chin, the blow accomplishing what the liquor alone couldn't do.

"Sorry, Kid," Heyes whispered as he eased the unconscious man face down onto the ground. He took a deep breath, walked over to the fire and removed the knife from the glowing embers.

**0000000**

Kid had remained unconscious thus far, which was something Heyes was extremely grateful for.

"Gotcha!" Heyes cried out in triumph as he held up the small piece of metal that had caused him so much trouble and the Kid far too much pain and tossed it near the campfire.

Heyes rose carefully to stretch cramped up muscles that were tense and sore. As further testament to his weariness, he released a drawn-out breath of relief. It had not been a simple case of locating and removing the bullet this time; it had taken longer and been more complicated than any other doctoring he'd ever performed on his cousin.

It reminded him of a game of hide-and-seek; unfortunately the bullet knew all the good hiding places. He'd been forced to cut deeper into his partner's flesh to dig the bullet out than he'd bargained for; a job which would have been impossible had Curry been awake. Heyes walked down to the river to wash up and tried to ignore the blood that stained his hands.

_Just a few more minutes; that's all I need and the worst of it will be over...at least for me_. His thoughts elsewhere, he washed off the knife. When he returned to the camp he would lay it back in the fire. What he had to do next was his least favorite part of patching up someone; the smell of burnt flesh was enough to cause even the strongest of men to retch.

"That's another thing I have to thank you for, Kid," he directed a glare towards the prone body of his partner, "The least you could have done was to tell me _before_ I ate. This could've been done on an empty stomach, but no, you didn't want to worry me." He shook his head at his friend's convoluted logic.

Heyes retrieved the glowing knife from the fire. His plan was simple. Inhale and hold his breath as long as possible to keep from smelling the acrid stench. And, if he could just forget _whose_ flesh it was, he might be able to finish before he lost his supper. Taking a deep breath, he placed the hot metal flat on Curry's shoulder.

When the Kid's body twisted with a convulsive jerk, it caught Heyes off guard; the knife flew out of his hand and fell to the ground. The outlaw swore under his breath, grabbed Curry and tried to force him back down without causing the wounded man any more pain than unnecessary. He directed an angry scowl towards the star-filled sky.

"Would it be asking too much for him to stay quiet until I'm done?" he demanded of the heavens.

In the throes of his struggle to turn over Curry grabbed Heyes' arm in a grip tight enough it made the other man wince.

"It burns - make it quit hurtin'- I know ya can do it...please...Han!"

_Han?_ Heyes looked down at his cousin, wondering if he had heard right as he pried away the fingers that dug deep into the flesh of his forearm. "You haven't called me by that name in years!" Despite the gravity of the situation they were in, a fleeting grin lifted the corners of Heyes' mouth.

Of their own accord, his thoughts drifted back to a happier time in their childhood while he went about getting Curry settled down. Back before they were wanted men; a time when they were just two young boys named Hannibal and Jed...and a time when they both still had families to love and that loved them...

**0000000**


	4. I'm Not Sure If I Know the Way

**CHAPTER 4 **

"**I'M NOT SURE IF I KNOW THE WAY"**

**Lawrence, Kansas...1860**

Jed had been the one to come up with the nickname that hot summer day. The boy had been playing in the creek, amusing himself while he waited for his cousin to show up when all of a sudden, Heyes came storming in.

Jed turned around in surprise. "Daggone it, Heyes – ya scared all the tadpoles away!" Then as he caught sight of his friend's face he added, "Somethin' wrong?"

"I don't want to be called Hannibal _ever_ again!" he shouted.

"Sheesh, you're yellin' loud enough for the folks in the next county to hear ya!"

Heyes pivoted about to direct a scowling glare at the other boy. "You wanna make something of it?" he snapped.

Jed held up his hands in mock surrender. "I was jus' sayin'…" He shook his head vigorously and grinned, "I'd rather tangle with a mother grizzly bear than **YOU** any day when you're in this kinda mood!"

Some of the anger left Heyes' face.

Jedediah Curry held his eight year old cousin in high esteem and always had time to listen to what he had to say and today was no exception. He cocked his head to one side. "Well, what _**do**_ya wanna be called, then?"

"Heyes - I just wanna be called Heyes – plain an' simple!" he shouted back in frustration. "Is that too much to ask?"

With a thoughtful look on his young face, Jed plopped down on the riverbank. He watched Heyes pace restlessly back and forth along the water's edge for the longest time, not saying a word. Finally he stood up and walked towards the other boy, causing him to halt in mid-stride. There was a solemn look in the blue eyes which made the boy look much older than his six years. Jed had been eager to share his thoughts with his cousin.

"Okay," he began in a serious tone, "so if ya wanna be called Heyes, well then, guess that's what people should call ya. Only problem is, the grownups ain't gonna do it. Jus' like they call me _**Jedediah**_ most of the time," he made a face. "Shoot, I ain't even big enough for a name that long!" With a deep, heartfelt sigh, the boy returned to the problem at hand.

"Ya know, if ya think about it, jus' 'Heyes' sounds like it's your pa...kinda like it needs a 'Mister' to go along with it, ya know. Anyways, the way I got it figured, if we was to find ya a name that made everybody happy, ya might stand a better chance of gettin' your way. So, that's why - if it's okay with ya - I'm gonna call ya Han. Whatcha think? How's that sound? Would ya mind that… Han?" Jed watched the older boy's face, rocking back and forth from one foot to the other in his anxiety, unable to stand the suspense as he waited for an answer.

Hannibal was suitably impressed with the length of the boy's speech. His cousin hardly ever spoke more than two or three sentences strung together at one time. And, equally impressive, was Jed's perception of how to solve his problem. Heyes mulled over his friend's suggestion for a while, rolled the name around in his head and tested it out.

_Han...hmm, that wasn't __**too**__ bad and Jed did have a good point._ Maybe even some of the grownups just might start using it if they heard Jed saying it all the time. _ Anything was better than the dreaded Hannibal! _He flashed a dimpled smile at Jed; no words were necessary.

Jed pulled his cousin off the rock he'd been sitting on and after they had whooped and hollered for a bit, he punched Heyes in the arm playfully.

"Come on, _**Han**__, _I'll race ya! Let's go tell everyone your new name!"

Despite all his good intentions, the name hadn't been as well-received as Jed had hoped, but it had solved the problem of what the boy would call his older cousin. Once in a while, if Jed were really mad and wanted to get his point across, he'd call his older cousin "Hannibal" knowing how much Heyes disliked it.

Heyes grinned, _Just like he did earlier today on the cliffs._

If the boy was a bit more than a little upset, he might call him 'Hannibal' in a mocking tone, just to tease him. Other times it was plain "Heyes" when the younger boy was irritated with him, but for the most part, he had become Jed's 'Han.'

With Curry quiet and resting at last, Heyes leaned back and his eyes drifted shut as more memories from their younger days were brought to mind...

**0000000**

**SEVEN YEARS LATER…WYOMING TERRITORY...1867**

Seven years had passed since that day down by the river. A lot of changes had occurred in the lives of the two cousins from Kansas. Han and Jed were now out on their own. They had recently left the Valparaiso Home for Waywards, the place where they had been sent to live after they lost their families. Leaving was something they had been forced to do or suffer the consequences, so the boys had run away; it was run away or be separated from each other.

Having reached the age of fifteen, Heyes would have been old enough for the officials to turn out, but Jed would have been kept at Valparaiso for another two years for the money he brought in. After talking it over, both boys had agreed there was no way that they were going to let that happen; they would stick together no matter what it took.

However, after being out on their own for a while, it was soon apparent that things were not going to be as easy as Han and Jed had first thought. There were times when their sparse ammunition ran out and the two boys went without food for days at a time. More often than not they had to settle for finding shelter wherever they ended up, road sore and too weary to travel anymore. It became commonplace that where they spread out their blankets to lay their heads for the night was the hard, rocky ground with only their arms for a pillow. Uncomfortable and their bellies growling with hunger, their slumber was fitful.

The cousins who, in addition to being relatives, had been friends as far back as they both could remember, began to grate on each other's nerves like fingernails on a blackboard. Scared, but unwilling to admit their fears to the other, they were like sores that festered.

Heyes felt a keen responsibility for his younger cousin. He had been the one to convince the boy how good life was going to be once they were free of Valparaiso. But so far he picture he had painted had not materialized yet. He took it deep to heart that he wasn't able to take better care of him. "This isn't the life I promised Jed!"

On the other side of the coin, Jed was well aware that he wasn't doing his fair share. Unable to pull his own weight, he was nothing more than a burden to the older boy, holding his cousin back. "Han would be better off without me!"

A confrontation seemed inevitable. And so it was. A few days later the two young men found themselves at loggerheads.

**0000000**

Heyes stood by himself, a solitary figure alone in the middle of the road. He watched his cousin walk away with the undisputable knowledge that he was as much responsible for the fight as Jed was; probably more, if the truth were told. They had both yelled things at each other, mean, hurtful things, said in the heated passion of the fight that never should have been said.

"We wouldn't have said them neither if we'd just been able to get some food in our bellies and a decent place to rest our heads. Even if we'd found some work it might've helped a bit, but we've reached the point of no return, a place where we both feel it's our fault. Guess we took our anger out on each other..."

It was Jed who had been the one to walk away. He had stared in hurt silence at Heyes after they had run out of things to yell at each other.

"This ain't gonna work anymore, Hannibal! I'm tired of ya tellin' me what to do an' when to do it! I'm old enough to take care of myself an' so are you, so let's jus' call it quits right now! I'll go my way an' you go yours - we'll both be better off!" With those final words, Jed had turned and walked off; never once had he looked back.

What Heyes didn't know, the reason that Jed didn't look back, was because he couldn't. He didn't want his cousin to see the telltale moisture that had gathered in his eyes. The truth was, he was scared; more scared than he had even been in his life. The boy wanted nothing more than to turn around, to go running back to tell his best friend that he didn't mean one single word of what he had just said. But he didn't; he knew that he had to keep on walking.

_If I don't walk away, Han's never gonna make it...an' one of us has to!_ With grim determination he put one foot in front of the other all the while telling himself he was doing the right thing. _Right foot, left foot, right foot...NO! Jedediah Ezekiel Curry, don't ya dare turn 'round! _Jed chastised himself_...Left foot..._

**0000000**

Heyes reached down and scooped his hat up out of the dirt, then held it in his hand, at a loss to understand. _What had just happened?_ _How had it ever reached this point?_ he wondered. _After we ran away so that we could stay together, now we're gonna split up over a few angry words? How stupid is that?_

Although it was hard, he resisted the temptation to go after his cousin. _He just needs some time to cool down._ Heyes shrugged, confident in his assumption that by nightfall Jed would be back at camp, probably carrying something he'd caught for supper as a peace offering. They'd both be embarrassed and then they'd laugh and apologize, just like all the times before.

He and Jed would sit down and make plans together for what they were going do for the next few days, like nothing had ever happened. Heyes grinned, as a plan came to mind; one that was guaranteed to coax Jed into a better mood for sure.

"I'll go find that berry patch and get enough to have with supper tonight." Jed loved berries and, as Heyes pictured the look on his cousin's face when Jed saw what he'd done, he knew things would work out just fine. His plan might be simple, but he was positive it would work.

But, that wasn't the way things went; sometimes even the most simplest of plans go awry. Heyes had waited for Jed's return that night until exhaustion won and he finally fell into a troubled slumber, refusing to believe the cold, hard fact.

_Jed wasn't going to come back this time._

The boy had stopped being Han that day, the moment the two boys had split up and gone their separate ways. Eventually, he had joined up with the Devil's Hole Gang, first as an outlaw named Heyes, then later he'd gone on to become their leader. When the Kid became a member of the same gang, he'd always referred to his cousin as Heyes.

Han had been left behind with their other childhood memories, forgotten, until tonight.

**0000000**

Heyes' attention was diverted once again when Curry moaned and became restless and began to thrash about in his agitation, fighting against the hands that tried to help him. As he tried to get his partner comfortably situated, Heyes reflected back on another time when Jed had been hurt and how much he had needed Han's help...

**0000000**

**VALPARAISO HOME FOR WAYWARDS...1864**

"Jed? Hey, Jed - you up here? If you are, you'd better answer me - or else!" twelve-year-old Heyes hissed. "Okay, guess you win, Kid - I give up. You are the hide an' seek Champeen today." A dimpled grin stretched across his face as he added under his breath, "You may_**think **_you're the Champeen Hider, but I'm the Champeen Tracker – and you can't hide from me for very long, cousin!" His brow furrowed. Jed_**had**_to be up here hiding somewhere; he had looked everywhere else. All the usual hiding places were empty and soon it would be dark.

Heyes stood still, poised on the ladder, not going all the way up into the attic while he let his eyes adjust to the darkness and listened for any telltale sounds that would prove him right. He had the patience to outwait his friend; being still and quiet was as foreign to ten-year-old Jed Curry as missing a meal.

He eased himself up and through the hole in the floor to sit on the edge. Now that he could see better, he looked the whole room over thoroughly to figure out where his cousin had found to hide himself this time. Heyes dismissed the collection of old boxes and trunks immediately. There were a few other possibilities, the most promising being the large pile of old clothes scattered over in the corner, but before he could make a move towards it, he heard a noise.

_That had sounded like a cry!_ And it was all that it took for Heyes to jump up and run over to the pile of clothing. He knelt down to push them aside and discovered that he had been right. There was Jed all right, all curled up into a ball.

"Jed, it's me, Han. Hey, dontcha know I've been lookin' all over the place for you? You really had me worried there for a bit, 'specially when you didn't come in to supper. I had to stay there so they wouldn't notice that both of us were gone. Look, I saved you some food. Had to be real careful and sneak it into my pockets. I know you like 'em, they're your favorite - jelly biscuits. I brought you _**three**_ of 'em..." Heyes' voice trailed off. Jed hadn't moved or made any further noise since being discovered.

_Something really bad must have happened; Jedediah Curry __**never**__ refused food!_

Heyes set the food on the floor and moved more of the clothes away from his friend as he made an attempt to see Jed's face in the fading light. Both eyes were squeezed shut, one hand clenched tight into a fist that was pressed against his mouth and his top teeth cut deep into his knuckles.

"Hey, buddy...talk to me, tell me what's wrong?" Heyes whispered and reached out a hand to touch Jed on the shoulder. From previous experience, when it came to dealing with his cousin, the older boy was pretty much prepared for almost anything. What he wasn't prepared for, was that Jed would suddenly turn and pitch straight into him.

Caught off guard, Heyes was knocked over backwards, the breath sucked from his lungs. Jed grabbed hold of his cousin and buried his head on Heyes' leg. Stunned by his cousin's actions, Heyes could only stare down at the boy that clung to him like a burr.

_What in the world...?_

He hadn't seen Jed this upset since their families had been killed last year. He put a tentative hand on Curry's back and began to pat it with awkward but gentle taps. Uncertain of his next move, Heyes was left to wonder and wait until Jed was able to tell him what had happened. When he felt he had allowed the boy enough time and his cousin had still shown no signs of talking, Heyes took the lead.

"Kid, it's getting late. I wish we had more time, but we don't have long before they notice we're not in our beds. You know what Miss Menius will do to us..."

Heyes' warning had the desired effect. Embarrassed by his outburst, his head still buried in his arms, Jed's voice was muffled. "Han, would it be all right, do ya think, maybe...could ya let me lean on ya, jus' for a little bit?"

Heyes turned sideways so the boy could lean back against him and then said, "We need to talk."

"I know..." Sitting with his knees bent, his head resting on his arms, Jed's voice was barely audible. "Han...I'm...I'm real sorry..." he stopped to take a deep shuddering breath, "I know...its wrong...but...I...Han - I...want...my...my...mom!"

The gut-wrenching words, combined with the tear-streaked face that Jed finally turned towards Heyes were almost the older boy's undoing, more than he could take. Balling his hands into tight fists, he fought for control. He couldn't - no, he _**wouldn't**_ - give in now!

There was a mutual unspoken agreement between the two of them that they didn't talk about these things anymore. The memories were still too fresh - too painful - for both of them, but even more so for the older boy. Heyes was the one who had been forced to take charge to ensure that his younger cousin didn't see the ravaged bodies of their families.

Heyes was the one who'd had to grow up overnight and leave his childhood far behind, never able to give in to the overwhelming sense of grief he had felt at their loss. Even at his young age, he had been smart enough to realize that if he did, he would be lost...and worse, so would Jed. For one of the few times in his life, Hannibal Heyes was at a loss for words, unsure of what to do, much less of what to say. His mind was a total blank and yet, there Jed sat, waiting for an answer.

He had been ready to help find a solution to any number of the problems that seemed to find Jed, but this? This would require a lot from him, maybe something he wasn't ready to give, even if it meant he could help Jed. He needed time. But as Heyes looked into his cousin's eyes, still glistening with the remnants of his tears and so full of trust, he knew that time would not be an option.

"I know how you feel, Jed, and I-" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath ".…I miss my mom, too." As the admission left his mouth, Heyes was rewarded for the effort it had cost him to say the painful words when he heard Jed's response.

"Really, Han? Ya really mean it? You're not jus' sayin' that, are ya? Ya don't think I'm bein' a baby? 'Cos that's what they called me this mornin' when I got hurt an' cried for her!"

"Hurt?" Heyes looked Jed over with concern.

"It's nothin' - it was early this mornin', guess I was havin' one of my bad dreams. Michael an' Matthew - they got mad at me - said I woke 'em up! They said they tried to wake me up, but guess they must've pulled too hard on my arm, 'cos they pulled me clean outta bed! I landed right smack dab on my arm, Han, it hurt somethin' fierce!" Seeing the other boy's expression, Jed backpedalled, "I mean, it hurt _**then!**_I tried real hard not to cry, but they still poked fun at me anyways!"

"You sleep in the top bunk - that's a long way to fall. Shoot, I might've cried too, if I fell that far." Heyes was rewarded with another grateful look.

"Anyways," the sandy-haired boy continued, "guess I was still sorta dreamin'. Han, my mom was in it! An' I knew if I told her I was hurt, she could make it better. So I guess I must've called out to her, but then when they started laughin' at me, I realized it was jus' another dream." He heaved a deep sigh then added, "YOU weren't in your bed, an' I didn't have anyone else to help me!" Jed shot his cousin a glare filled with accusation.

Before Heyes had a chance to reply, the boy went on. "Then, Miss Menius came in, told us all to get back into bed, an' that she wanted to see all three of us in the mornin' - _**before breakfast!"**_ he sighed. "Han, _**both**_Michael an' Matthew said they were gonna make me sorry for gettin' 'em into trouble, an' THEN, Danny said he was gonna flatten me 'cos I made trouble for his friends!" The boy's eyes were sparkling with anger at the injustice of everything.

"Jed, did anyone ever check out your arm? Did you even tell anyone you got hurt?"

"Umm, well, no..." Jed's answer was quickly amended, "But, Han, ya ain't listenin' to me!" he rushed on, his words tumbling over each other to get out, "There wasn't no time; we all had to get back into bed. Guess they must've went back to sleep, but there was no way I was gonna close MY eyes, not with all three of 'em mad at me!"

Jed paused long enough to take a deep breath. "Well, I wasn't gonna fall asleep, but I guess I must've, 'cos when I opened my eyes again it wasn't dark no more, an' everyone had already gone down to eat. Han, they jus' let me sleep! I found out later that Danny had threatened 'em all not to wake me up so I'd be late an' in even more trouble! I jumped outta bed 'cos I didn't wanna to miss breakfast, then I remembered I was s'posed to go see Miss Menius first. I slowed down 'til I figured maybe I'd better jus' go ahead an' get it over with."

Heyes held up a hand. "Hold on...let's see if I have all this right. First off, you have a bad dream, then you get pulled out of your bed, you hurt your arm, get threatened by three bullies, miss breakfast **AND** have to go see Miss Menius...did I forget anything?"

"Umm, well, I..." Jed hung his head and scuffed the ground with the toe of his shoe, "Well, ya stopped me 'fore I got to the part when Miss Menius sent us all to the kitchen to do extra chores an' they started makin' fun of me again..."

"Making fun of you, why?"

"They kept callin' me a big baby!"

"Who called you that?" Heyes' head was spinning trying to keep up with everything his cousin was revealing to him.

"All of 'em - Danny, Michael an' Matthew - they all made fun of me! Pushed me down on the ground an' said they were gonna go find me a bottle of milk to drink an' some diapers to wear! Han, they made me so mad, an' I know ya made me promise not to fight, but I jus' _**couldn't**_let 'em get away with sayin' all that! An' 'sides that," Jed sent Heyes a defiant look, **"YOU** weren't anywhere 'round to talk me outta it!"

"Aw, Kid," Heyes groaned, "you didn't get into a fight with them - did you? Please tell me you kept your promise! I'm sorry 'bout not being there," he attempted to explain his absence, "But they woke me up this morning before it was even daylight. I tried, but there wasn't any way - I wanted to, I mean I did try, but they wouldn't let me wake you up to let you know where I was going. Guess what they did? They gave me barn duty - uggghh!" Heyes pinched his nose and made a face, which at least coaxed a small grin out of Jed.

"I had to clean out all the stalls and then I had to go out to the field and help round up the cows for milking. At least today was the last day of my extra chores; I'll be back to my regular ones tomorrow." _That is, IF we get downstairs and into our beds before they miss us, _he thought to himself as he looked at the darkening shadows. "So, if you didn't get into a fight, what _**did**_ you do? You were kinda outnumbered you know, three to one."

Jed raked a shirtsleeve across his eyes and edged away from Heyes to lean back against the wall. "I tried to find **YOU**, Han!" he whispered, "I needed a plan an' I knew if I found ya that you'd help me."

Once again, Heyes found himself looking into his cousin's eyes, usually filled with trust. Right now they were troubled and reflected the hurt the younger boy felt.

"I was all alone...all by myself! Nobody cared whether or not I was okay...Han, its jus' not any fun without ya 'round to help plan things! I can't think of stuff the way ya can. I wasn't gonna let 'em get away with it, so I jus' kept outta their way until -" again Jed halted in mid-sentence and then dropped his head in defeat to rest on his knees. "Ya know what, Han? I don't _**ever**_wanna spend another day like today! I jus' felt so...lost!" Despite his attempt to prevent it, Jed's voice quavered on the last word.

Heyes got up and knelt down on one leg before his cousin. He reached out and put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Jed - did you? Did you figure out a way to get even? Please, tell me you didn't try to do it all by yourself? Those bullies were already mad and out to get you. Look at me! Tell me you didn't do one thing to them – I'm not kidding - I want the truth!"

Jed raised his head to look straight into his cousin's face. "Honest, Han, I promise, cross my heart," he made an x across his chest, "I didn't do one thing to 'em; that's the truth, an' that's why I'm up here...I jus' couldn't take their teasin' no more!" The boy's words were sincere, as was the look in his eyes.

Heyes released the breath he had been holding. Satisfied with Jed's answer, he reached down to pull his cousin to his feet. "Okay, now all we've got to do is get downstairs and into our beds before they notice we aren't in 'em. Before we go, there's something I have to do first."

Ignoring Jed's questioning look and not giving him a chance to talk him out of it, Heyes took hold of the boy's arm and pushed the sleeve up, whistling softly when he saw the bruises. He made a mental note for the future, tucking away the fact that Jed made no attempt to pull free from his grip. _In fact, he's staying perfectly still._ Reading the look of protest in the boy's eyes even before Jed started to deny it, Heyes held his tongue and waited to hear what his cousin had to say. _I'll give you all the rope you need, Kid…_

Although it was true Jed had winced and sucked in his breath at Heyes' initial touch, he shook his head in denial and hurried to explain. "It's okay, Han - really! It looks worse'n it is...it only hurts a little. I'll jus' havta be real careful. Honest, I promise I'll tell ya if it doesn't feel better tomorrow, but like ya said, it's gettin' late an' we're both gonna be in big trouble if we ain't in our beds. Come on, let's get goin', I sure don't wanna get in no more trouble tonight!" He reached up and pulled Heyes' fingers loose from his arm. Once free he tried to push past Heyes.

Having arrived at his own conclusions, Heyes put out a hand to restrain him. "Alright, I'll let it go...for tonight, but I'm giving you fair warning, Kid, if it gets worse, and you _**don't**_tell me, I'm gonna have to flatten you!" Heyes softened his words with a smile.

Jed's answer was a matching grin of his own; he turned to leave, but pivoted about. "Hey, wait a minute." He ran over to the jelly biscuits and picked them up, managing to stuff a whole one into his mouth while holding the other two, one in each hand. _Everythin' was gonna work out fine, now that they were together again._

From his behavior, Heyes deduced that Jed must be feeling better; food was the one thing guaranteed to fix anything as far as he was concerned. He had to smile as he watched his cousin tackle all three biscuits at one time. _Only Jed could manage to enjoy himself so much, with so little._

The sandy-haired boy licked his fingers. "Come on, Han...let's go!"

"You might want to take a look in the mirror first..." Heyes laughed at the expression on the younger boy's face as he complied.

Turning around to look at his cousin, Jed defended himself, "I guess _**some **_people jus' know how to enjoy their food." He reached down to take one of the old rags from the pile, rubbed the jelly off his face and glanced back into the mirror. "Okay, _**now**_can we go?"

Heyes nodded and the two boys climbed down the ladder. Heyes went first to make sure the coast was clear. At least that was the explanation he gave Jed, his real motive being so that he could watch the other boy climb down. Heyes had to admit, his cousin deserved credit for his effort.

Reaching the downstairs safely, they still had to make it inside their room and into bed without being caught. Heyes gave Jed the all-clear signal and they walked into the room to join the others already in the process of getting ready for bed. The two boys breathed sighs of relief. Their relief was short-lived however, for no sooner had they got near their beds when the trouble began.

"Hey, guys, lookee here...look who finally decided to come to his wittle beddie- it's wittle baby Jeddie-weddie!" Danny sauntered across the room and made his way over to Jed. Once there he bent down to peer into the younger boy's face and resumed his mocking assault. "Awww, look, poor wittle baby, he's been cwyin' again!" he announced to the room in a loud voice.

His mouth clamped shut, Jed backed up a step and turned away, his back to the room.

"Yeah, anyone find Jeddie-weddie's wittle baby bottle?" Matthew taunted the boy next, "Guess he must've lost it somewhere!"

Heyes had been watching his cousin throughout the interchange thus far and was puzzled by Jed's behavior. The only sign the boy gave that he had even heard one word that was being hurled at him was the stiffening of his back and his closed eyes, which no one but Heyes could see.

"Hey, Jeddie-weddie...ya gonna put on your own diapers...or does your gweat big cousin Heyesey-weysey have to do that for ya, too?" Michael added insult to injury.

The whole room went silent, a small miracle in itself considering the number of boys gathered together in the one room. Heyes and Jed might be the newest additions to the group, but the other boys had been quick to learn that if you picked on one, the other always came to his defense; the two cousins looked out for each other. The roomful of boys waited with expectancy to see what would happen next.

Eyes smoldering with anger, his hands balled into tight fists at his sides, Heyes started towards the three bullies.

Jed stepped in front him and put a restraining hand on his chest. "No, Han, don't do it!" he whispered. "You'll jus' get into trouble, too!" He stared up into Heyes' face, blue eyes pleading with brown as he waited.

After a minute, the older boy quit glaring at the three bullies long enough to turn and look down at his cousin who still blocked his way.

While some of the anger was still present, Jed was glad to see that Han was at least willing to listen.

"You feelin' okay, Kid?"

_**"Please?"**_

"You're right; they're not worth the trouble. If you can let it go, then I guess I can too, but...I just don't see how you're doing it!" Heyes shook his head. "I'm the one usually holding _**you**_ back; you know something I don't?"

Jed grinned. "Nope, jus' remembered what Grampa Curry always used to tell us - 'Don't get mad, get even!'"

Heyes closed his eyes as he too, recalled their grandfather's words of wisdom. When he opened his eyes, he looked down at Jed, who still had that big smile on his face. _Maybe his 'little' cousin wasn't quite so little anymore._

"This ain't over, you two, so if you know what's good for you -"

"Everyone should be in their beds by now!" Miss Menius' shrill voice could be heard not far down the hall and forestalled any further comments. "Quit dawdling around; there will be no more talking...or else!"

Jed slid an uneasy glance over and up to the top bunk. He bit down on his lower lip as he absently rubbed his sore arm. He shifted his look sideways to see Han leaning against the bunkbed, arms folded across his chest, watching and waiting. Jed swallowed and put his foot on the bottom rung of the ladder, but before he could go any higher, Heyes put a restraining hand on his shoulder to stop him. Blue eyes wide, Jed turned to his cousin.

"Uh, uh, not tonight, Jed, you get the bottom bunk; I'll take the top one," Heyes announced in a voice loud enough that it carried across the room for the other boys to hear, "I've got some thinking to do and there's not as many distractions way up there," Heyes gave the younger boy a wink.

Relieved that Han had not made a big deal out of it in front of the other boys, the look of gratitude Jed shot his friend said it all; his smile told his cousin he understood.

"Sure, Han, you go right ahead an' do all the thinkin' ya want, _**I'm**_ goin' to sleep!"

As Jed crawled under the blanket, he looked across to where the three bullies were getting into their own beds and smiled to himself.

_Tomorrow's gonna be a mighty interestin' day..._

He rolled over onto his back, his good arm under his head and looked at the bottom of the bunk above him. _An' I really didn't lie to ya, Han; I promise I didn't do one thing. I jus' remembered somethin' really important ya told me once when I asked ya how come ya didn't jus' flatten someone when ya got mad at 'em..._

Heyes had answered, given him some advice which the younger boy had tucked away in a corner of his mind for future use. And, although Jed personally thought it was much easier to just flatten someone and get it over and done with, he also figured his cousin must know what he was talking about.

_Han's sure gonna be real pleased when he finds out how I listened to him, an' sees that I paid attention to what he said_. _Yep_, the boy nodded, _he sure will...probably right after he gets done flattenin' me!_

And with that last comforting thought Jedediah Curry yawned and burrowed deeper under the covers, pulling them up under his chin, and drifted off to sleep. As it shone through the window, the pale moonlight revealed the Cheshire cat smile that played upon the young boy's face.

**0000000**


	5. Give Me All the Strength I Need

_**CHAPTER 5**_

"_**Give Me All the Strength I Need" **_

_**WE RE-JOIN HEYES AND KID BACK AT THE CAMPSITE, JUST BEFORE DARK...**_

Heyes had once again been successful in getting Curry to lie back down and he had quit fighting the hands that were doing their best to help him. The dark-haired man could see the pain and wariness that were still present in his partner's eyes, but in addition they now held a glazed look. A look Heyes recognized all too well; it was the one that usually accompanied a fever and he had hoped they might be spared this time. "So much for hope," he muttered. Reaching out to feel Kid's forehead, he swore under his breath.

"Couldn't just **one **thing go right, for once - is that too much to ask!?" He touched Curry's shoulder. "Hey, Kid, listen, we're almost finished, just a bit more. This is the part where I need you to stay real still. I have to seal that wound and the knife is sharp...and hot."

With a groan Curry turned his head away.

Heyes waited a few seconds, uncertain if his words had been heard before he picked up the knife, washed it off and put it back into the fire, for the last time, he hoped. Out of the corner of his eye he could see that Kid's eyes were closed. _I don't blame you, partner; if it were me, I wouldn't want to watch you work either. _

Heyes hesitated again as his brain worked through things. _If he's conscious, I'm going to have to change my plan around a bit. I can't take the chance that he'll knock that knife out of my hand again; I have to be sure._ He walked back over to Curry, crouched down next to him and touched the man's arm.

Before Heyes could speak, Curry opened his eyes. "I know..." His body shook with a shudder before his lids closed, shuttering his eyes once again.

Heyes stood up and his chin dropped to touch his chest. _Guess that answers my question. _"Kid, I've got it all figured out how to get this done. I'm just going to have to change things around a bit since you're awake. I'm the only other one here, and since I've got to make sure you don't jump around again while I'm trying to use that knife, well, the best way I could figure out how to do both, was to -" Heyes paused to look down at his partner. "Well, I'm going to 'sit' on you; that way you can't move around," he finished in a rush.

His words were met with complete silence and Curry remained motionless.

"Kid? Hey, did you hear me? Did you pass out again?"

Eyes closed, Curry gave a loud groan before he shook his head from side to side very carefully. "Nope...didn't pass out again - wish I had!...Heard ya...jus' fine...not gonna open...my eyes...again...'cos then...I'll know...for sure...not dreamin'...You're gonna **SIT** on me?...**THAT'S **your...great plan?...You know...what, Heyes?...First you...throw me off...a mountain...then you...flatten me...an' now you're gonna...**SIT** on me?...Still think I'd be...better off...with that posse...safer..." Exhausted by the effort it had taken him to speak, Curry fell silent and his eyes drifted shut again; the exertion had sapped what remained of the weary outlaw's strength.

Heyes kept watch as Curry's breathing become slow and steady and shook his head. "Leave it to you to try and joke around at a time like this! Fine," he dropped his voice to a whisper, "you just keep those eyes closed; nothing much worth seeing out here right now, anyways."

Heyes turned Curry over carefully and positioned Kid's arms down next to his sides, and then walked over to the fire to pick up the knife. _This had better work!_ His arms pinned, Kid shouldn't be able to sit up or grab the knife. It was going to be hard enough as it was without worrying about any more interference from his partner. He crossed to stand next to Curry and carefully straddled the man's back, easing himself down slowly, making sure his knees were pressed firmly against his cousin's arms.

"Okay, Kid, it's time..." He took a deep breath and brought the glowing knife forward and pressed it down firmly on Curry's wound. The air was immediately filled with the pungent smell of burnt flesh. Heyes held his breath, but found he still had to fight down the urge to be sick when the bile rose in his throat. And that wasn't his worst problem.

From the first touch of the hot metal, the Kid had tensed his entire body, jack-knifing as he fought to get free. His lower lip oozed blood where he had bit down on it to keep from crying out and he kept his eyes closed tight. Curry put up a valiant struggle to rid himself of the immovable force that held him rigidly in place, until he was forced to admit defeat. In his present state, he was no match for either Heyes' strength or his determination.

Drained, the wounded man lay still at last, his sides heaving as he took in pain-filled gulps of air. Although he knew Heyes was doing his best not to hurt him, it wasn't enough. The sensation was that of being stabbed with red hot needles over and over again or getting stung by hundreds of angry hornets, and that was putting it mildly.

At one point Heyes was forced to probe even deeper in order to make sure the wound was completely sealed. The intense pain it generated proved to be too much and, pushed beyond his breaking point, Curry passed out again.

"Thank you," Heyes breathed with relief, grateful for the reprieve it gave both of them.

**0000000**

Standing up to wipe the beads of sweat dripping from his brow, Heyes tossed the knife near the fire. He strode purposely towards the river to lean against a rock and allowed himself the luxury of retching. When the feeling had subsided he walked the rest of the way down to the water. Kneeling down, he washed his face and hands then rinsed the bitter taste out of his mouth. _You owe me one, partner!_

Heyes made his way back up to camp and lowered his weary body down to the ground beside Curry, feeling as if he had aged ten years. "You know what, Kid?" he mumbled, "If you keep this up, I figure I should look old enough to retire long before we ever get that amnesty!" Leaning back against the tree, he looked up into the sky to see that the stars were already beginning to disappear. It had been one long day which had turned into an even longer night. He closed his eyes and yawned as his whole body slowly began to relax.

**0000000**

A few short hours later he awoke to find the sun shining in his face, signaling the start of a new day. Heyes glanced at his cousin; anyone looking at Kid now would find it hard to recognize the gunfighter with the cold, steely blue eyes and the lightning-fast draw. He reached out to touch Curry's forehead and his eyes widened in surprise not to feel the heat of a fever.

"You through sittin' on me?" Eyes still closed, Kid's quiet voice startled Heyes.

Making a quick recovery, Heyes grinned. "Just wanted to make sure you didn't move; there was a big enough hole in you already without me making it any bigger!"

"Good," Curry breathed, "all I wanted to know..." He swallowed with difficulty. "Sure could use some water; my mouth feels like a field of dusty cotton!"

"Let's get you sitting up first; take it easy," Heyes cautioned as he handed a cup to Curry, "You don't want to start coughing and rip open that wound."

"Yeah, I've been enough trouble as it is." A reflection of his mood, Curry's words were full of bitterness as he stared down at the empty cup he held in his hand.

From his position above his partner, Heyes sent Kid a look filled with exasperation.

"Okay, Curry - that's enough – I've had it!" Heyes' voice cracked like a bullwhip in the stillness of the camp. "After all we've been through these past few days, I am not about to let you think you get to shoulder all the blame. This is a partnership, remember? We split things fifty-fifty, and that includes the good as well as the bad. We've both said and done things we wish we hadn't, but we can't change that now.

"If you're going to be in such a bad mood, then maybe you should just lie back down and take another nap! Maybe when you wake up the next time you won't be quite so cranky!" Hands akimbo on hips, Heyes projected the epitome of outraged friend and partner, but found himself hard pressed not to laugh at the comical expression on his cousin's face.

Kid's mouth had dropped open in bewildered shock from the moment Heyes had called him Curry. His eyes were wide with surprise as well, which was what Heyes had been aiming for. _The Kid could really be a pain when he got into one of his moods, but if you could catch it before it started snowballing..._"So, what's it to be, another nap - or are you hungry?"

"Well, now that you mention it..."

The tension between them dissolved as the two men burst into much needed laughter, already knowing the answer before Kid said another word. As their eyes met, Heyes and Curry were quick to realize once again just how long it had been since they had been allowed the luxury to laugh and relax, to enjoy the moment without the threat of someone, or something, stealing it away from them.

**0000000**

**CAMPSITE, LATER THAT SAME WEEK**

The outlaws spent the next week whiling away the hours, talking and teasing each other, learning how to relax again. The two friends debated over things they were of different opinions on. Heyes would often start something with the Kid, his intent to deliberately rile his partner, in order to enjoy another heated discussion. Heyes pulled out his deck of cards and they whiled away many the hour trying to best each other. As the days continued to pass, so did most of the tension and worry the outlaws had been carrying around with them.

They were sitting around the campfire, relaxing after having yet another 'friendly' discussion which had eventually concluded with both men agreeing to disagree. Neither man could convince the other that their opinion was right, nor the other one's was wrong; however, the one thing they could both agree upon, was that it had been a fun challenge to try.

Curry cleared his throat, as if he was going to say something, but remained silent. A few seconds later, a cough followed.

Heyes looked up, masking his curiosity. _The Kid had been unusually restless all day, and as they had settled down for the night, he had been as jumpy as a long-tailed cat in a roomful of rocking chairs._

Curry absently rubbed his shoulder and stared into the fire as if it could provide inspiration. He leaned back against the rock with an audible sigh. "Heyes, we need to talk." _There, he'd said it._

"Well, isn't that what we've been doing? Something special you want to talk about?" Heyes' mouth turned up in a grin as he gave his partner his undivided attention. His poker face and outwardly calm appearance would have deceived most. Inside, his mind was working a mile a minute to solve the problem before it ever became one; wanting to prevent the good mood they had been enjoying from disintegrating.

Curry tossed some pebbles at a rock before he spoke again. "Heyes, I've been doin' some thinkin'..."

Heyes nodded, took another sip of coffee...and waited.

"Well," Curry hesitated and then cleared his throat again. Once he started to speak, it was as if a floodgate had broken wide open; he didn't seem to be able to stop the words from rushing out.

"I still don't feel right about the way things are...an' I can't figure out why, neither. It's like things aren't _settled_. A lot of things didn't get said. I didn't tell you 'bout bein' shot; you trust me to tell you when somethin' happens...but I didn't. Guess maybe that's it; I let you down. You're right, you never should've had to find out the way you did, walkin' in on all that blood like that.

"I knew it could bring back bad memories, but I never meant to cause you to feel - I never thought...hell, I'm not sure _what_ I thought, anymore!" Curry raised his eyes to meet those of his cousin. "If I can't get this..._fixed_, then I'm thinkin' that maybe it's time - maybe it's best - if we jus' go our separate ways. Without me around, at least that way you'd stand a better chance of gettin' that amnesty."

Heyes had listened to everything Curry had to say; he should have known his partner would take something this important to heart. After being together for so long, he should have recognized the signs. For him, it was almost like re-living a bit of their past. They had played out a similar scene once before, many, many years ago; surely the Kid couldn't have forgotten? Heyes grinned; he was in his element - this was a problem he knew how to solve!

"Kid, I want you to think back. Remember when we were at Valparaiso? Let's see, I was about twelve, so you had to be around ten..."

"_Valparaiso?_ Are you kidding? How could I _ever_ forget that place?" Curry grimaced and shook his head; a puzzled look appeared on his face. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"Everything, just listen…See, it all started the morning after you had a run-in with those three bullies…" Heyes continued, his words taking them back to their childhood days, allowing 'Han and Jed' to tell the story.

**0000000**

**1864, VALPARAISO, EARLY THE NEXT MORNING**

It had been a normal enough morning; all the usual activities that getting ready for school entailed passed without incident, everyone in a hurry to get downstairs to eat. Meager though breakfast was, it was all you got to eat until lunch and, if you arrived late, you didn't even get that.

Heyes watched the younger boy's tedious progress as he struggled in a valiant effort to get dressed all by himself and had to restrain himself. Jed didn't need for the bullies to see someone help him put his clothes on; that's all they'd need to start in with their taunting again.

Jed heaved another loud sigh of frustration as he tried to button up his shirt. It was slow going and it didn't help that his cousin was watching him. He knew why he wasn't helping, but as much as Jed appreciated the gesture, at the same time he wished Han would just go ahead and help. He was starvin'!

Heyes turned and took a casual look around. Satisfied when he saw it was almost deserted since most of the boys had already left to go downstairs, he made sure they couldn't be seen, stepped in front of Jed and quickly finished the job.

The impatient boy took off at a run. "C'mon, Han - what'r ya waitin' for?" he called back over his shoulder.

"I'm right behind you," Heyes grinned as he hurried after his cousin.

**0000000**

Breakfast progressed in a normal fashion, too. After they were done eating, everyone headed off to do their chores before they started on the walk to the schoolhouse.

Heyes was assigned work with the older boys while Jed was with the younger ones. "Hurry up and get done, Jed, maybe we'll have enough time to do something before we have to leave," Heyes called back over his shoulder as they split up.

And although the sandy-haired boy nodded, he didn't move.

Something prompted Heyes to look back. Jed stood rooted to the spot and was watching the three bullies. But, it wasn't just the fact that Jed was watching them, it was the intent way he was staring at the boys that grabbed Heyes' attention. Added to that was the fact that there was a great big grin on his cousin's face. At least there was until Jed turned to see that he, too, was being observed. With a quick wave in his cousin's direction, he hurried off.

Heyes shook his head. _Jed had looked him in the eye and said he hadn't done a thing - crossed his heart and promised him...right?_ And Jed had never lied to him. Still uneasy, he headed off to his own chores, his mind busy working to solve a puzzle when he wasn't even sure that there _was_ a puzzle. _Something isn't right, but I'll be danged if I know what it is!_

**0000000**

Even with an injured arm, Jed finished his chores in record time. After a quick glance at the Grandfather clock that stood in the hall, he hurried upstairs to grab his schoolbooks. A grin on his face, he ran downstairs to join the others who were gathering together in the front hall. Even though Spring was just around the corner, a frost covered the ground and a chill filled the morning air.

Everyone was busy putting on coats, hats and gloves; some of the older ones lent a hand to the younger kids, helping to get all their buttons done up. Most of them walked together as a group, they enjoyed the time outdoors before they were forced to sit still in school.

Heyes had just stepped off the last stair, and was hunting around for Jed when the yelling started. Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned towards the source of the noise. Heyes pushed his way to the front and did a double take, mesmerized by the scene that met his eyes.

Michael Peterson, one of the bullies, was yelling at the top of his lungs, but his words sounded more like gibberish than actual words. He was jumping all over the place, waving his arms around like he was going to take off and fly around the room any second. As Heyes looked closer, he realized that not only was Michael yelling, the boy actually had tears running down his face. Then the bully's words started to make sense.

"Get 'em off of me...get 'em off! Make 'em go away! AAARRGGHH! Somebody get 'em off me, I can't stand the creepy things!" All the time he was hollering Michael was frantically trying to yank his coat off his arms; his hat and gloves were already on the floor.

The sight of Michael leaping about like he was doing some kind of Indian war dance looked so comical, it wasn't long before the air was filled with laughter.

"Boy, he's sure actin' like a big sissy, all over a few little bugs!" one child exclaimed.

"Yeah, Michael, thought you were so tough!" teased another.

"Michael's a baby, Michael's a baby..." a young child chanted in a sing-song voice.

"What in Heaven's name is going on here?" Miss Menius demanded as she entered the room. Her words had an immediate effect; silence prevailed as they made a pathway for her to get a bird's-eye view of the show that was still going on.

"Michael Peterson - you stop that caterwauling this instant!" she commanded, "For heaven's sake, young man, what_ are _you carrying on about?"

"It's spiders, ma'am - spiders all over me - crawlin' in my coat pockets, they're in my hat an' inside my gloves! I hate the things!"

"Well I never! Such a big boy afraid of a few little spiders! You might be fourteen years old, but you are behaving like a two year old; stop this nonsense immediately! You should be ashamed of yourself, carrying on like that! You are coming with me right now and we shall finish this discussion in my office!" She took Michael by the ear and as they made their way through the crowd, the bully ducked his head in shame. Miss Menius turned back to address the group in a stern tone.

"And, as for the rest of you, I suggest you get started on your way to school - before you are all tardy!"

Now that all the excitement was over, everyone scurried around to finish getting ready to leave. It was at that point Heyes realized that Jed had missed the whole thing. _Now that's real strange… Kid's __**always**__ around when there's trouble; in fact, he's usually the one __**in**__ trouble!_ As he scanned the room, Heyes finally spotted his cousin leaning against the wall next to the stairs, a big grin on his face. Heyes frowned. Jed would have had the best seat in the house to see what was going on.

Turning to find himself once more under observation, Jed waved, came down the stairs and crossed over to where Heyes stood. "Boy, Han! An' he called me a baby? Never seen anythin' like it! Imagine someone as big as Michael bein' afraid of some itty bitty spiders - what a sissy!"

Heyes remained silent as he stared thoughtfully at his cousin.

"What? Somethin' wrong?"

"YOU - that's what's wrong!" Heyes advanced a step closer to Jed. "Don't you think it's just a little bit odd that one of the boys responsible for what happened to you yesterday has something like this happen to him today? Are you still going to tell me you didn't do a thing?"

"Han, it's like I told ya yesterday; honest, I didn't do one thing to make this happen, I promise!" Jed made an x across his chest as he spoke, "Cross my heart!"

"Well, I still think it's strange..." And it didn't alleviate any of the feelings he had that he was missing something; something important. Whatever it was, it was close, but just out of reach; like the brass ring on a carousel.

"Come on, Jed, we'd better catch up with the others or we'll be late!" Heyes snapped and pivoted about to leave.

Jed's mouth curved up in a grin as he fell in behind his cousin. "One down..." he whispered and then quickly hid the grin as they hurried out the door to join the rest of the group; neither boy wanted to start their day off by getting into any trouble.

Jed had great cause to avoid being late. The punishment for tardiness was writing 'I will be on time for school' one hundred times on the chalkboard during their playtime. He hated writing and he hated missing playtime outside, but what he hated most of all was missing lunch. And Jedediah Curry always missed both playtime and lunch, because it took him so long to complete the task.

The sandy-haired boy was preoccupied as they walked. _Well, guess that's __**one**__ way to keep Han's mind off my arm this mornin'. I'm jus' gonna havta be real careful an' not do anythin' to remind him. Sure wouldn't wanna miss out on anythin' else that might happen today…_

**0000000**


	6. I'm Certain I Won't Stray

_**CHAPTER 6 **_

"_**I'm Certain I Won't Stray"**_

Nobody was late and it seemed like it was just another typical, ordinary day at school, with one exception; it was noticeably a little more quiet than usual, since one of the bullies was missing.

At noon, the kids poured out the schoolroom, glad it had warmed up enough so they could eat their lunch outside and maybe have time left for some fun before they had to go back inside to their studies.

As usual, Jed was among the first of the kids to dash out the door. He grabbed his lunch and headed out to the big flat rock near the edge of the schoolyard. It was next to the stream that ran by the schoolhouse and was his and Han's favorite spot to eat. He patted his pocket, checking to make sure that what he had put there earlier was still inside. Satisfied when he felt the familiar object, he sat back to wait. As the other boys and girls found places to eat, Jed smiled and gave a contented sigh.

"Something wrong?" Heyes inquired as he climbed up on the rock to join his cousin.

"Nope, why?" Jed looked at Heyes, the innocence of his blue eyes connecting with his cousin's penetrating dark brown ones; his smile was a rival for the sunlight streaming through the trees. Jed Curry loved lunchtime. If anyone had asked him, he would have eagerly told them it was his favorite part of school. Food and playtime; they were just the right combination to almost make it worth the trouble of him showing up for lessons.

"Why? Well, because you haven't even started on your lunch yet; usually by now you're done, trying to hurry the rest of us so we can start playing." Heyes looked down at the lunch that still sat untouched in his cousin's lap.

"Huh?" With a guilty start, Jed looked down as well. "Oh, I...uh, I was..." He scrambled for an answer that would satisfy his inquisitive relative's curiosity and then heaved a deep sigh. "Guess it's jus' that I'm kinda worried 'bout havin' to stand up in front of everyone to do those stupid times tables. Ya know how I hate bein' up front by myself an' with all that went on yesterday, I didn't even get the chance to study! I gotta do 'em right after lunch..." his voice trailed off, a look of anxiety on his face.

Heyes smacked the palm of his hand against his forehead. "I plumb forgot about you having to do that today, no wonder you're worried. But even arithmetic doesn't usually stop you from eating. I didn't think there was anything that stopped that!" he grinned.

Jed opened his pail and started to eat. He _**was**_ hungry and he needed to act as normal as possible to keep Han from asking too many questions. Han _**always**_ asked too many questions, no matter what, but Jed's goal was to keep his cousin occupied so he wouldn't even start today.

Having finished his sandwich, he began to munch on his apple. He darted a quick glance across the schoolyard over to where the bullies sat in the grass eating their lunch. They were so predictable; they always ate in the same spot, too, but today there were only the two of them. Danny Bailey and Matthew Johnson; nobody else would dare sit with them, which was just fine with them. It was also fine and dandy with Jed. He elevated his eyes slightly to a spot above the bullies' heads and took another bite of his apple, savoring the sweet juiciness of the fruit as he chewed.

**0000000**

Finished with his lunch, Danny stood up. "I'm gonna go get the ball so we can start playin' as soon as you're done, Matthew. Hurry up, okay?"

"Yeah, you go ahead. I'm almost done, I'll be right there."

Out of the corner of his eye Jed watched Danny leave. Polishing off the last of his apple, he turned to Heyes. "I'll be right back; I'm gonna go get my times tables so you can help me go over 'em, okay?"

"Sure, I'll wait right here," Heyes grinned, " 'sides that, I haven't even started _**my**_ apple yet!" _And to think I was worried he wasn't going to eat! _With a shake of his head, Heyes leaned back against the tree, took a bite out of his apple and closed his eyes. A few moments later he was jolted out of his quiet meditations by yelling and screaming for the second time that day.

_Now what?_ Heyes jumped down off the rock to join the other kids running towards the noise. Once again he was forced to push his way up to the front to see what was going on. When he did, he was as astonished as the rest of the students.

Matthew Johnson, bully and second only to Danny in his meanness, was sitting on the ground with a beehive in his lap, kicking and yelling, slapping at the swarm of angry insects that surrounded him. He hurled the beehive away, but that didn't help much, since most of the bees were already out of the hive.

Matthew continued to slap frantically at the bees while trying to stand up. When he finally did, the angry insects buzzed even more around his face, an action which caused him to dance around in a wild frenzy, waving his arms.

"Go away, leave me alone, I hate bees!" he cried. "Get 'em off me, get 'em outta here! Make 'em go away!" Matthew had had enough. The bully took off running towards the river and then to the amazement of all who watched, he jumped into the water, clothes and all, still yelling and flapping his arms.

"Never seen anythin' like it!" one of the boys marveled and gave an appreciative whistle.

"Guess the bullies aren't really so tough after all," declared one of the older girls with a sniff.

"Matthew's a big baby, too! Maybe he should sit up front with the first graders today!"

"Hey!" A highly indignant first grader protested, "even _**we**_don't act like that - we don't want him 'round us, neither!"

Heyes' face was thoughtful as he listened to the comments. _How'd that beehive end up in Matthew's lap in the first place? _"Did anyone see what happened?"

One of the older boys beside him nodded his head. "It was the darnedest thing! The beehive just kinda 'fell' outta the tree. One minute it was way up there an' the next Matthew was holdin' it an' hollerin'. Funny how it jus' happened to fall into his lap like that, isn't it? Sure glad it wasn't me!"

"Yeah, it sure is funny..." Heyes agreed absently. _And it's sure funny that Jed is conveniently missing again. _ Heyes searched around until he spied his cousin over by the schoolhouse. Jed waved and started walking towards him.

"What I'd miss?" the younger boy called out when he was close enough to be heard, "Sounded pretty excitin'!"

"Nothin' much," Heyes answered slowly, "Just a beehive that 'mysteriously' fell right into Matthew Johnson's lap...and him acting like a big baby in front of everyone. He finally jumped in the river to get away from the bees." Heyes kept his eyes on Jed's face while he spoke.

"Matthew jumped into the river? Boy, I wish I'd've been here!" A crestfallen look on his face Jed added, "Sure must've been somethin' to see!"

Heyes pinned him with a shrewd look. "Yeah, it sure was...where were _**you**_?"

"Han, dontcha remember anythin'?" Exasperation tinged the boy's words. "I went back to the schoolhouse to get my times tables. By the time I got 'em an' started back it was all over. Why? Ya think _**I**_ had somethin' to do with it?" he demanded defensively.

"Now, don't get all riled up; I never said you did. It's just real strange that things keep happening; that and the fact that both boys had trouble with you. Nobody's accusing you, but you've got to admit, it_**is**_mighty odd." With the gnawing feeling that he was missing an important piece of the puzzle, Heyes knew he wasn't going to be able to rest easy until he had figured out what it was. For right now though, he needed to give the matter a rest while he helped Jed.

"We don't have much time before lunch is over, give me your paper," Heyes held out his hand. "Let's see what we can get done with those times tables."

His back to Heyes, Jed was occupied with watching a thoroughly drenched Matthew crawling out of the river and didn't respond. _What a glorious sight it was - served him right!_ "That's two," he whispered.

"What?"

"Huh?" Jed answered absently.

Heyes stepped up to stand beside his cousin and waved a hand in front of his face to get his attention. "If you'd pay attention for a minute, I asked you to get your times tables paper out; I'll help you study before we have to go in," he repeated in exasperation.

"Oh, sorry, Han...jus' watchin' Matthew crawl outta that water. Boy, he's sure gonna be in a heap of trouble!" Jed laughed at the other boy's misfortune.

"Yeah, and so are _**you**_if you don't get started on those times tables! Where's your paper?"

Jed reached into his pocket and came up empty-handed. With a sinking feeling he realized that he didn't have it. "I uh, I guess I uh, must've dropped it when I was, uh walkin' back here," he mumbled and turned away. "I'll go look an' see if I can find it," he hedged. In all the excitement he had forgotten to get it out of his desk. His back still to Han, Jed crossed his fingers.

Heyes stood, hands akimbo on his hips, watching Jed trot back towards the schoolhouse. Something was definitely going on and somehow his cousin was involved!

Jed hurried back into the building and grabbed the forgotten paper. "Got it, Han!" he declared, waving the paper as he ran.

The boys worked together for the rest of the break until they heard the bell which signaled the end of lunchtime. The children began to head back towards the schoolhouse. Trailing along behind them, a reluctant Jed walked slower and slower as he studied the paper clutched in his hands.

"Come on, Jed, quit bein' such a turtle!" Heyes teased and reached back to grab the younger boy's arm to hurry him along.

Jed winced but managed to stifle the cry of pain that rose to his lips. With a quick jerk, he pulled free and brushed past Heyes to run the rest of the way to the building, leaving his friend to stare at his back.

Heyes followed the other boy with his eyes as Jed shoved his way past the other kids up the stairs and disappeared inside. _ I don't think I've ever seen Jed this worried about reciting._ By the time he walked into the schoolroom Jed had already taken his seat up front with the younger children. Heyes frowned when he saw that his cousin had his head buried in his arms.

Jed was doing his best to ignore the pain. In a very short while he had to be able to stand up in front of everyone and pretend that everything was fine; Han would be watching him. _What am I gonna do? I've worked too hard for things to mess up now!_

Miss Frey stood up in front of the classroom and began to assign work for the older students to work on while she listened to the younger ones recite.

Jed groaned, wishing that he was as good as his cousin was when it came to math. Han loved math; figures made him happy, though Jed was at a complete loss to understand why. He raised his head and leaned back in his seat, his chin resting on his chest. He closed his eyes while he tried to figure things out. Then, as Miss Frey called the first child up to the front of the classroom, Jed realized it didn't matter anymore; his luck had just run out!

Since they went alphabetically by last names, he was to be the fifth student to recite. His mind was a complete blank, unable to even recall what nine times two was. It was always like this for him; he hated standing up in front of everyone and being the center of attention, but the part he dreaded most was everyone thinking how dumb he was. He couldn't help it; he just forgot the answers when he was in front of everyone.

_I wish I was invisible!_

While he had been busy wishing, Miss Frey had called the second and third child. They had already finished and now the fourth student was walking up to the front of the classroom. Jed panicked_. I'm next!_ His palms were sweaty, it was hard to breathe and he still couldn't remember what nine times two was!

"Jedediah Curry, please come to the front of the class. You will be reciting the nines times tables for me today," Miss Frey's voice intruded into his thoughts.

Jed _**wanted**_to heed his teacher's voice; he tried, but his legs refused to listen. He knew there'd be trouble to pay, but he just couldn't stand up. He stared down at the wooden boards under his feet and wished with all his might that the ground would suddenly open up, swallow him and put an end to his misery. Instead, he heard his teacher's voice, only this time it was louder and more insistent.

"Jedediah Curry, whatever are you waiting for? Quit your dawdling and come up here right now, or you will be staying after school to recite and you will also write each multiple ten times to help you remember the answers!"

_Great,_ Jed sighed, _now they'll all be watchin' me for sure! Why can't I be like everyone else an' jus' walk up there an' be done with it? _He gripped the sides of his desk. _One thing at a time..._He tried to ignore all the eyes that were upon him as he managed to pull himself to an upright position. _Now, if I can jus' make it to the front of the classroom..._He wished his insides didn't feel like churned butter!

Before he could take a step, there was a loud clatter from somewhere behind him. Everyone turned away to look, their attention focused there instead of on him. He heard a groan and then Miss Frey hurried past him. Jed turned, but couldn't see who it was since everyone had stood up and crowded around, but he didn't care. _Whoever ya are, I owe ya a great big thanks!_ He collapsed in his seat, grateful for whatever had happened to take him out of the spotlight.

"What's wrong?" he heard Miss Frey ask.

The teacher motioned to two of the older boys to help get the student up off the floor. More moaning and groaning followed, then a voice whispered, "It feels like my insides are trying to get outside, it hurts a lot, Ma'am; it feels like I'm gonna be sick..._**real sick**_**!"**

Turning around, she clapped her hands together as she spoke to the rest of the class, "Alright everyone, back to your seats. Open your books and start working on your homework. Joe, you go get Doc Martin - and ask him to hurry, please!"

She returned her attention to the boy on the floor. "And as for you, _**Mister Hannibal Heyes**_**,** this had better not turn out to be another of your clever plans to keep your cousin out of trouble!"

"Oh no, ma'am," Heyes grimaced and clutched his stomach, writhing on the floor from side to side, "The pain's real - honest! I...ooh," his groans increased in volume, "I'm gonna be sick right now!" The boys wasted no time in lifting him to his feet and escorting him from the classroom in a rush.

_**Han?**_Jed rose up out of his seat when he heard the name, but before he could move his cousin was going past him. Heyes turned his head a bit and opened an eye to give him a brief wink, quickly closing it before anyone else noticed. Jed sat still, in awe of what his cousin had done. He put his head down on his desk again, but this time it was to hide his grin.

_Han sure knows how to fix things, but shoot, that's nothin' new. He's always there when I need him, ready with some kinda plan._ _I wish I could let him in on this, but Han's better off not knowin'; that way they can't blame him for anythin'_. Jed heaved a sigh; none of that had helped to ease his conscious one bit.

**0000000**

Heyes did end up being sent back to the Home and Jed got his reprieve. A very small one, if what Miss Frey had said to him was anything to go by. She had stopped him from rushing out the door when school was dismissed to go find out about Han.

"Jedediah Curry, you stay right there in your seat until after everyone has left; you and I have some unfinished business to take care of!"

"Yes, ma'am," he answered. Casting a longing look at the door he trudged back to his seat to wait.

Waiting was not something Jedediah Curry did very well; his patience had reached the breaking point. Worried and not knowing what had happened to Han didn't help matters, either. His imagination running wild, the frustrated boy was ready to get up and take off running out the door despite the teacher's warning.

_What if the Doc had told 'em at the Home that Han wasn't really sick? _That'd mean they'd punish Han. Jed knew the older boy would take it and never say a word. _An' it's all because I'm so dumb! Why can't I be as good as Han at learnin' stuff?_ Jed heaved a deep sigh and glanced up to the front of the classroom again and realized that he and the teacher were the only ones in the room.

Miss Frey had already finished helping the children. Sitting at her desk, her hands folded upon it, she was watching him with an intent expression. Jed chewed his bottom lip. It was as if the teacher was waiting for him to do something. Not sure what that something was, he stared down at his hands instead. "Well, Jedediah, it seems as if that cousin of yours has saved you once again, hasn't he?"

Jed lifted his head and with a shrug of his shoulders he rushed to his cousin's defense. "I don't rightly know, ma'am; wish I did. He told me this morning he didn't feel good, but...well, he didn't think it was bad enough that they would've let him stay in bed, so he came to school anyways." Jed smiled that special smile of his, his curry-blue eyes full of innocence and charm; a winning combination that usually worked, but not today; not with Miss Frey.

Not totally immune to the young boy's smile, or his charm, but also not willing to let it sway her decision, she kept her smile hidden and her tone stern. "Well, he may have delayed your recitation, but it was only temporary. I would like you to stand up and say the nine times tables for me, Jedediah."

This time, Jed stood up with ease. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and started to recite. "Nine times one is nine, nine times two is eighteen..." He made his way slowly through the whole times tables, only stumbling on a couple of the answers, but managing to get the correct answers on his own. When he finished, Jed opened his eyes and caught the look of surprise on Miss Frey's face. He was even more relieved to see her mouth curved into a smile.

"Very well done, Jedediah, you have certainly surprised me today. I was positive Hannibal did what he did today because he knew you had not studied and he did not want you to be in trouble. He cares for you very much, you know. I believe he would go to great lengths to protect you, even at the cost of his own well-being. I think it is wonderful that the two of you have each other to lean on."

"Well, Ma'am, I'm not sure you really understand. See, it's not jus' Han tryin' to protect me..." Jed struggled to find the right words. "What I'm tryin' to say is that I jus' don't do so good when I havta stand up in front of everybody, with everyone starin' at me, an' watchin' me. I _**hate**_ bein' the center of attention! I forget everythin' I thought I knew when I havta be up there, like I'm dumb or stupid or somethin'. I get sick to my stomach an' wish I could jus' disappear. I don't know what to do about it, an' the really bad part is its gettin' worse 'stead of better."

"Well, that certainly helps to explain something that has been bothering me for a while, but I wasn't sure." Miss Frey gave him a long look over the top of her spectacles. "Jedediah, if I ask you a question, will you promise to give me an honest answer?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Have you had that feeling for very long?"

Jed hung his head and nodded, too ashamed to speak.

"Look at me, Jedediah!" Miss Frey commanded in a sharp voice.

Jed dutifully raised his head, his troubled eyes looking deep into hers.

"You are _**not**_ dumb, and you most certainly are not stupid! A bit lazy, perhaps, and while you may not enjoy being the center of attention, these are things that can be overcome. As you get older, there will be times when you will have everyone's attention, whether you want it or not. We can work on that here at school, starting with you not having to stand up in front of the class to recite.

"This is something that is only temporary," she continued, "trust me, in time, it _**will**_get easier. I think Hannibal is doing his best to help you. Together, you and your cousin make a great team; you've both been through a lot. But you have to be prepared to do your part by learning all you can, doing your best and being the best you can be, no matter what that is."

"But what about the other kids?" Jed's expression was proof he wasn't convinced. "Won't they notice I'm gettin' treated different? I sure don't need any more problems than I've already got!"

"There won't be any more problems for you, unless you don't study like you are supposed to or you don't do your homework every day. In addition to you, I have been allowing some of the other children to recite to me alone. Believe it or not, there are a few others who have the same feelings that you do, Jedediah. They don't have it quite as much as you do, but with a little help from me and some hard work on your part, I think we will be able to make things easier for you."

This time when Jed flashed his smile, Miss Frey allowed it to work its magic on her and she returned it. He crossed the room to stand in front of her and after a slight hesitation, stepped closer and wrapped his arms around the teacher to give her a hug.

Touched by the gesture, Miss Frey embraced the boy. Then she broke the spell and ran a hand through his sandy curls. "I believe you mentioned something about wanting to find out about that clever cousin of yours?"

Jed leaned back and, with an ear-splitting grin on his face, nodded.

"When you find him, would you please give Hannibal a message for me? Tell him he's going to need a _**much**_better plan the next time; that one will only work once with me." Although her tone was stern, there was still a smile on the teacher's face.

Jed stepped back, his own smile still firmly in place. He nodded again, then grabbed his books and flew out the door.

"Boy, Han, do I ever have a lot to tell ya, an' you are **NOT** gonna believe it!"

**0000000**

**VALPARAISO, LATER THAT SAME AFTERNOON**

The boys were sitting together on a bed in the 'sick room.' Jed had managed to sneak in when no one was looking and had just finished telling Heyes about all the wonderful things that had happened at school in his absence.

"Miss Frey said that?" Heyes was amazed. "And she did what?" Jed was right in thinking he would have a hard time believing it all. "Kid, are you sure you didn't get knocked in the head or fall asleep in class and had some kinda dream or something?"

"No, Han, honest; she really said all of it! But the best part of all is that she says I'm not really dumb or stupid!"

Heyes rolled his eyes and looked up at the ceiling. "That's _**what **_I keep trying to tell you, Kid! You just have a different way of learning. I'm glad you finally decided to listen to someone. Maybe from now on you'll try to do your work and not give up so easy."

"Han, it'll all be worth it not to have to stand up in front of everbody an' recite! I'll do _**anythin'**_ she tells me to do if it means I don't havta do that!" he promised in a fervent tone and stood up. "Oh, yeah...I'm s'posed to give ya a message. Miss Frey said ya needed a much better plan _**next time,**_ 'cos that one was only gonna work once with her."

Heyes grinned, relieved that someone had finally been able to understand what Jed's problem was and was going to help fix it. He was also glad that Miss Frey wasn't angry with him, although he was a little chagrined to know that she had been able to see through his plan. He hadn't had much time to figure one out this time, but just wait, he'd show her; his next one was going to be great!

"So how'd you do those times tables anyways? I thought you couldn't remember 'em."

"It was the strangest thing, Han. Since nobody was watchin' me, I could think about the answers. All the help ya gave me today must've sunk in somehow too, 'cos it was _**your**_ voice I heard sayin' the answers. When I said the times tables to Miss Frey, I jus' repeated what I heard YOU sayin'; it was easy!" Jed gave his cousin a smile that lit up the whole room.

"Glad I could help, Kid, anytime," Heyes grinned back. "Wonder how long they'll keep me in here? I really want to get out of this bed so I can see what else is going to happen today," he aimed a questioning look at his cousin.

"Ya really think _**more**_ is gonna happen today, Han? I think enough has happened already - don't you?"

"No, I'm sure something else is going to happen; I might not know what or when or where, but I'm positive the excitement isn't over...yet. Guess we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?"

Jed shrugged, "If ya say so, Han; Anyways, I gotta skedaddle before they come back an' find me here. Do what ya can to get out; it's not much fun without ya. An' hey, look at it this way, you're gettin' outta doin' your chores - that oughta be worth somethin'!" With those final words, Jed snuck out the same way he'd gotten in.

Hands clasped together behind his head, Heyes leaned back against the pillows to think things over while he waited for the doctor to turn him loose.

**0000000**

Jed knew he had to work fast; he only had a short while before Han got out and came looking for him. "I sure don't know how Han thinks up all the things he does! How in the heck does he do it?" His own mind was frazzled from thinking and he was sick and tired of having to watch his step around Han all the time; it just didn't feel right. _Oh, well, it would all be over soon and things would go back to being normal._

At least that was what was _**supposed**_ to happen, according to Jed's plan.

**0000000**

Everyone was busy with their chores. As soon as they were finished, they would start on their homework. Jed's chores for this week were to gather the eggs from the henhouse and to sweep off the porches of the Home. He had finished up with the eggs in record time, but with his sore arm, sweeping was taking longer than usual. He hadn't forgotten his promise to Han, but there had been too many other things on his mind. Besides that, he couldn't tell him or he'd miss the final chapter in his plan.

Jed bit down on his lower lip and kept sweeping. _This is gonna take forever!_ he groaned. Then, a funny feeling came over him; the kind he got when he felt like he was being watched. _Bet Han got out an' he's checkin' up on me; guess I'd better make it look good, or I'm gonna be the one stuck in the sickroom!_ He forced himself to put his other hand on the broom and kept his back to where he figured his cousin had to be hiding. Finally finished, he breathed a deep sigh of relief.

**0000000**

"Nice try, little cousin," Heyes muttered before he stepped out of the shadows and walked up behind Jed. "Hey, guess who got sprung?" he called out in a louder voice.

Jed whirled around, a look of surprise on his face. "Hey! 'Bout time ya showed up, now that all the chores are done! Any trouble with the doc thinkin' you was pretendin'?"

"Nope, said I probably just ate something that didn't agree with me."

"Well, I'm glad you're not sick anymore, it was sorta quiet around here."

"Aw, you _**did**_ miss me then, didn't you?" Heyes grinned.

"Didn't say that," Jed cocked his head to give the other boy a look, "Said it was _**quiet**_around here - ya know, without ya talkin' all the time."

"Well, that's a fine way to say thanks for saving you! Of all the ungrateful -"

Jed held up a hand and surrendered to the laughter he had held inside. "Hold on, Han, don't get all worked up. I never did get the chance to tell ya thanks for savin' me today; I should've known you'd have a plan!" He walked up to his cousin and stuck out his hand. "I'm tellin' ya now, thanks - I thought I was a goner for sure!"

And that, along with Jed's impish smile, patched things right up between the two boys.

**0000000**

Chores over with, everyone was occupied with schoolwork until suppertime. Kids were scattered all over the place, some working alone, others in pairs or groups.

His chin resting on his fisted hands, Jed was one of the kids who sat alone, curled up cross-legged in a big chair in the hall where Han had left him.

"It's quieter here," he had declared, defending his choice of a place to study in answer to the questioning look Heyes had given him. "An' I need all the help I can get – I've got _**lots **_to study, see?" He held up his book for inspection.

"You'd better!"

"I will," the younger boy nodded, "An' I've got a new dime novel, too – see?" He held up another book.

"Oh no, you don't," Heyes held his hand out, "Hand it over."

"Aw, c'mon," Jed pleaded and put the book behind his back, "One of the other boys let me borrow -"

"I don't care about the other boys! You promised Miss Frey, and you don't want to disappoint her on the first day now, do you?"

"No, but -"

"Uh, uh, homework first - promise me."

Desire battled with honor before Jed grudgingly agreed. "Okay, I promise," he grumbled. "I'll do my homework first…but I'd rather look at the book!"

"I mean it, Jed; I'll be right back to check on you as soon as I'm done." Taking in the crestfallen expression on the younger boy's face, Heyes grinned. "Tell you what, _**IF**_ you finish that homework, you can start in on the dime novel - okay?"

"Sure, Han, whatever ya say, but it's gonna take me_**forever**_to do it an' the longer ya stand here jabberin', the longer I havta wait to get started!"

"Alright, I'll see you in a little bit. I have something important to do and I need you to wait right here for me until I get back." He glanced out the window. "I have to take care of it before it gets dark."

"Outside?" Jed's face lit up, "Where?"

"Don't worry about where it's at; you'll be busy, remember?"

"How could I forget?" Jed grumbled.

"I'll be back before you know it. Now, open your book and get started – or else!" Heyes warned; the words were accompanied by a smile and a wink before he turned to walk away.

Jed blew out an exasperated breath and opened his book, but his eyes weren't on the pages. Instead they followed Heyes as he walked down the hallway. "Didn't wanna go with ya anyways; I've got plans of my own," he muttered under his breath, "But it sure would make things easier if I knew where ya were!"

**0000000**

And so Jed studied. At least he tried to _**look**_like he was studying; the look was one that would have fooled most people. After a quick peek at the clock, he propped the book open in his lap. Staring straight ahead, he turned a page. A bit later he turned another. That worked, at least until he glanced impatiently up at the clock again.

Just one minute later than the last time he'd looked! _Wish I could reach up an' move the hands myself!_

**0000000**

Jed glanced around, searching the room again to see if Han had showed up yet. That was the one thing he couldn't control; if this was going to work, he had to know where Han was!

_Nope, still no sign of him yet; dang it all, Han, where are ya?_ The frustrated boy checked the clock once more, staring at the hands as if by sheer willpower he could convince them to move faster. His head fell back against the chair in defeat and he closed his eyes.

"Hey, Jed...are ya really studyin'?"

The voice coming from right beside him startled Jed enough so that the boy bolted upright and leapt completely out of his chair. _Great, _he groaned, _it's not bad enough I havta try an' keep track of Han, now __**she's**__ gotta show up, too?_

Once her giggles had subsided, the girl tried again. "Hey, Je-ed...didn't ya hear me!?" This time the voice was louder and more insistent. "I asked ya a question; dontcha wanna talk to me?" The girl's crystal blue eyes sparkled with mischief. "Oh, I know, - you're mad 'cos I sneaked up on ya, ain't ya? Or maybe it's 'cos I scared ya, huh?"

"I heard ya jus' fine, Jamie! I'm pretty sure the whole daggone school must've heard ya, too!" Jed hissed in anger as he looked around to see if, in fact, anyone else _**was**_ paying any attention to them. He relaxed a bit, relieved to see they weren't. "An' no, ya didn't _**scare**_ me when ya snuck up on me, an' yes, Miss Busybody - I _**am**_ studyin' - see?" He held up his book as proof.

"Really?" Unperturbed by his display of anger, the girl began to giggle again, "Well, it must be kinda hard to read – since you've got it upside-down!" She reached out a hand to right it, but Jed jerked the book away and slammed it shut before she could touch it.

"Jus' go away - can't ya see I'm busy right now? Go bother somebody else!" He flopped back down in the chair and opened the book. "Why can't things go right for once!" he muttered.

The smile slipped from the girl's face, her bottom lip began to tremble and her eyes clouded over. "Sure - I can tell when I'm not wanted; I don't care if I never see ya again! Dontcha worry none 'bout me, Jedediah Curry, I won't bother ya no more - _**EVER!**_" She turned and took off running down the hallway, her blonde braids flying behind her like twin kites.

Jed jumped up, the book falling from his lap to hit the floor with a loud thud. "Jamie, wait," he called after her, "I'm sor -" his voice trailed off as he realized too late that she was already too far away to hear. A feeling of remorse hit him; he hadn't meant to hurt her. Jamie Thompson was his and Han's only real friend here at the Home and they trusted her almost as much as they trusted each other; they even had adventures together.

Heck, most of the time it didn't matter none to him that she was a girl, neither; she wasstill his friend. The frustrated boy picked up the book and dropped down into the chair. _Well, at least, she used to be! _After he had directed another anxious look up at the clock, he closed his eyes and heaved another deep sigh as he remembered the look on Jamie's face.

"The list of people I'm gonna owe an apology to is gettin' longer by the minute!" he groaned.

**0000000**


	7. Protect Me From the World

**CHAPTER 7 **

"**I Know We'll Make It Through"**

**VALPARAISO, A SHORT WHILE LATER...**

Danny Bailey was positive that he was next. "I'm not sure what's gonna happen or when, but whatever it is, it's gonna happen to me!" He was the only bully left, and as the leader, he had been saved for last. And as much as the boy hated to admit it, he didn't have the faintest idea who it was that was out to get them.

"Together the three of us have made so many enemies, heck it could be any one of 'em!" _Well, I'm not gonna go easy, and I'm sure not gonna act like those other two - the great big sissies! Shoot, even little Jeddie-weddie hadn't acted like that!_

Danny headed downstairs, feeling like a fish out of water without the other two boys beside him. Three bullies were a formidable force to be reckoned with, two were double trouble, but one? Well, he'd have to wait and see what one was. Since the other two had been given extra chores to do for the next two weeks, he'd be on his own quite a bit.

It was almost suppertime as Danny strolled nonchalantly towards their usual meeting place. Nobody dared to bother them there; in fact, except for the other two bullies nobody even knew that this place existed. It had been a well-kept secret for almost two years.

Jed smiled behind his slate as he watched Danny's progress towards the 'secret' hideaway. _Shoot, it wasn't so secret; I was able to find it._ He was pretty sure Han didn't know it was there. Jed frowned. Proud of his discovery, he had planned on sharing it with his cousin, as a special surprise. _Well, this oughta be a real special surprise, alright!_

Thoughts of Han reminded Jed that he still hadn't caught sight of his cousin. _Where is he? _he wondered for at least the hundredth time. Then a daunting thought struck him. _How many times can Han flatten me if he finds out about everythin' all at once?_

Jed waited until Danny disappeared, then sauntered casually towards the hidden doorway, all the while keeping a wary eye out for Han as he waited impatiently for his chance to follow Danny without anyone seeing him. When he reached the place where he would need to stop, he 'accidentally' dropped his slate. Turning around to lean against the secret panel, he glanced around the room. Nobody was paying him the slightest bit of attention and there was still no sign of Han.

_Well, guess I'm jus' gonna have to take my chances; I can't wait any longer. Okay, Han, you jus' stay busy, wherever you are, for a few more minutes an' everythin' will be jus' fine._

Darting one last quick look around, Jed reached behind him, pushed the panel and quickly ducked inside. Even though he knew Danny would be further down the passage, he crept forward as quiet as a mouse, not making a sound as he neared the last obstacle that separated him from Danny; a thick, wooden door.

Sniffing the air, Jed wrinkled his nose. Yep, Danny was definitely in there, the smoke alone was a dead giveaway. "Wonder if he's really as tough as he thinks he is?" Jed edged closer and stretched out a hand towards the door, ready to slide the bolt across it.

Suddenly, the door swung wide open. Both Jed and Danny yelled at the same time as they came face to face. Danny backed up against the door and Jed bumped into the wall behind him. It would have been hard to say who was the most surprised. Both boys were wide-eyed; their breathing loud in the narrow hallway, but it was Danny who found his voice first.

"Well, well, well...if it ain't little Jeddie-weddie! Whatcha doin' down here?" After darting a quick look around for Heyes and not seeing any sign of him, Danny got a bit braver. "All alone? Whatcha doin' so far away from your watchdog cousin, huh? Too bad he ain't around to help ya out this time, ain't it? Why, I'll bet Heyes don't even know you're down here, does he Jeddie?" The whole time he was talking, Danny had been walking towards Jed; he now stood right in front of the boy.

Jed gulped; _I've gotta do somethin', maybe I can talk my way out like Han does?_ "He does too know I'm down here - he...he went to get Miss Menius! Yeah, he's gonna bring her right down here in jus' a few minutes, you'll see. Then you're gonna be real sorry, you're gonna be in lots of trouble - way more'n Michael or Matthew!" Jed pulled himself to his full height and tried to sound like Han when he was angry, but to his dismay, Danny just laughed and called his bluff.

"Ya know Jeddie, I havta admit, that was a pretty good try. _Almost_ made me believe it might be true. But, ya wanna know what ya did wrong? Ya forgot somethin', somethin' really important, somethin' everybody knows, 'cept you, I guess. Your cousin would _never_ leave ya down here alone while he went for Miss Menius."

"Hey, I think I just figured out somethin' else; _you're_ the one who's been makin' trouble for us, ain't ya?" Danny jabbed a finger into Jed's chest. "Boy, just wait'll Heyes finds out about all the stuff you've been doin' behind his back; I'd love to be there to see his face!" The bully paused long enough to draw on his cigar; he exhaled the smoke with deliberate slowness in the other boy's face, and then smiled when Jed started to cough.

"That's _one_ of the reasons why we don't like you two," Danny continued in a conversational voice, "did ya know that? You haven't been here that long, but the two of ya came in together and can't nothin' - or nobody - come between ya. The rest of us are all alone; heck, we don't even know if we can trust the ones we call our friends.

"But no matter what happens, you two got each other to lean on when ya need to; ya trust each other for everything. But then, Jeddie-weddie, then you gotta go and do somethin' like this; it's really gonna tear Heyes up. Now, what I wanna know, is how ya found out about this place, and why you're down here, and you're gonna tell me the truth! Ya weren't gonna do somethin' stupid now, were ya, little Jeddie?"

Jed shook his head; he was in deep trouble. _Danny's right, nobody knows where I am; shoot, they might never find my body!_

Danny leaned down and shoved his face right up close to Jed's. "Hey, I'm talkin' to ya, Jeddie! Were you gonna lock me up down here?" His eyes narrowed. "Didn't think you'd get caught, did ya? Well, ya know what I think? I think it's _your_ turn to find out what it's like to be scared for a change!"

Before Jed realized what was happening, Danny had grabbed him and shoved him inside the little room. The boy hit the far wall and crumpled into a pile on the floor.

"Let's see how you like it!" the bully taunted Jed. Danny grabbed the lantern and slammed the door shut; the loud sound reverberated in the hallway. Knowing it would take both hands to slide the bolt, the boy set the lantern down and laid his cigar on top of the old barrel next to the door in order to push it, but the rusty old bolt was stuck and wouldn't budge.

Danny kept at it until the bolt finally slid across the door with a squeaky groan loud enough to wake the dead. Losing his balance, the bully pitched forward and fell against the barrel and slid to the ground. On his feet in a split second, he went to stand by the door where Jed was imprisoned.

Meanwhile, inside the room, Jed had managed to stand up and find his way in the darkness to the door. His teeth were clenched tight against the throbbing pain in his arm.

"Danny, listen; I was only gonna ask ya if you'd let me come down here with you guys. Han, well, he don't let me do anythin' like smokin'; I jus' wanted to be like you guys, really! I'm tired of bein' treated like a baby! Danny, ya gotta believe me, I wasn't gonna lock ya in! Danny? Danny...ya can't leave me down here!" Jed's voice had started to crack on his last word; he _had _to convince Danny not to leave him down here alone!

"Danny?" _Please, don't be gone yet, _Jed pleaded silently. "Danny, are ya still out there?" The boy swallowed what was left of his pride, "Please answer me," he begged.

"Yeah, I'm still here, but not for long, Jeddie-weddie. Ya sure do know a lot of funny stories. Wish I had time to stick around and listen to 'em, but well, it's almost suppertime an' I'm real hungry. Don't have too much fun tonight, Jeddie-weddie; I'll be back to check on ya in the mornin'." And with those parting words, Jed was left alone in the small, pitch black room.

The bully ignored Jed's imploring as he walked away. "The little brat deserves everythin' he's gettin'; teach him to try an' get the better of me!" By morning, Jed was going to be ready to do almost anything to get out, and Danny knew just what he was going to make him do.

"I'll take care of two birds with one stone, and Jed's gonna be the one to do all the dirty work!" Danny grinned, "When I'm finished, Hannibal Heyes won't even want anyone to know he's kin to Jedediah Curry; this is gonna be great!" He could hardly wait to find the other two bullies so he could share what he had done with them.

After using the peephole to make sure the coast was clear, Danny cautiously opened the secret door. Everyone was getting ready to head in for supper. _Too bad little Jeddie's gonna miss out; everyone knows how much he loves to eat. For such a puny thing he sure could put it away! _"Oh, well, it'll be all the more reason for him to agree to what I've got planned." The bully smiled as he thought of something else. "Think I'll bring Jed a little somethin' to eat when I come back down in the mornin' to let him out. That oughta make him even more grateful to me and more willin' to do what I tell him to do."

Danny joined the others going in for supper; he wanted to make sure he had a front row seat to see Heyes' face when his cousin didn't show up to eat supper. And when Jed didn't show up at bedtime…

"This is gonna be even better than I planned – an' there ain't one single thing Heyes can do about it!" Danny's smile went from ear to ear as he got his plate and sat down to wait.

**0000000**

**MEANWHILE, WE JOIN "SHERLOCK HEYES" HOT ON THE CASE…**

The reason Jed hadn't been able to find any trace of Heyes was because that young man was occupied with going over the scene of the crimes to see if he could find anything to help him figure out what was wrong with the puzzle he was trying to solve. Unfortunately, what he had found so far hadn't helped much.

At the scene of the spider attack, all he had discovered was an old jar under the stairs.

"This could've been what held the spiders until they were used on Michael," the junior sleuth surmised. There wasn't anything else special about the jar as far as he could tell, nor were there any more clues to aid him in solving the puzzle.

He fared a bit better at the scene of the bee attack when he discovered two marbles directly beneath the tree from which the beehive fell. Not for one moment had Heyes believed that it fell of its own volition and so, using the process of elimination, the young sleuth began to formulate a solution.

"Someone might've dropped them," he mused aloud, "or maybe they could've fallen out of someone's pocket, or they could have been used in a slingshot to knock the beehive down..." If he was right, whoever did the knocking was a darned good shot; that narrowed the list of suspects down quite a bit.

"There aren't too many kids who are that good with a slingshot," he murmured with a frown, "In fact, I could narrow it down to about three, and one of 'em's Jed!" Heyes ran his hand through his hair, with the fervent hope that this was one time he was wrong. All of a sudden he slapped the palm of his hand against his forehead accompanied by a loud groan. "There's still one bully left and all the suspects are with him right now!"

**0000000**

**VALPARAISO, TWO HOURS LATER**

Jed had long given up hollering. _What was the use?_ Along with a throat that was raw, a head that was throbbing and hands that hurt from pounding on the door, his arm felt like it was on fire; he was exhausted. He wanted something to drink, he wanted something to eat, but most of all, he wanted to escape the confines of his prison!

He saw the closet as an enemy which had to be fought and conquered. It wasn't long before Jed realized that his real enemy wasn't the closet itself though, it was the stark loneliness which surrounded him. It coiled around Jed like a boa constrictor. The black nothingness tightened its hold on him a little bit more with each passing minute and turned him into a frightened prisoner of the darkness.

Jed hadn't always been afraid of the dark. In fact, the boy could remember back to a time when he used to love to play in it, as he tried to find the best places to hide in it...

**0000000**

**1859...Lawrence, Kansas**

Jed had been five years old when he'd found the 'perfect' hiding place during a game of hide-and-go-seek and had been exhilarated by his discovery. It was an old wooden coffin, left in the alley behind the undertaker's.

Being the youngest of the group, it seemed to Jed that he was always having to prove himself. Han was the one who had convinced the rest of the older boys to let him join them today. What better way to show them how brave he was to hide inside something as scary as a coffin. _Just wait'll they can't find me an' finally give up; they'll havta admit I'm the champeen hider! That'll be great, an' boy, is Han ever gonna be proud of me!_

The excited boy never stopped to think before he climbed inside, just jumped in and pulled the lid down quickly before anyone saw him. Jed could hear the others as they were discovered; heard them running to make it back to home base before they were tagged, and then it got quiet. He kept as still as he could, knowing everyone was still searching for him since he could hear them calling out his name; that made him laugh because they sounded like they were getting frustrated.

_And maybe even a little mad,_ Jed thought gleefully, looking forward to seeing the looks on their faces when they had to admit that they couldn't find him. Suddenly he thought of something even more amazing. Even his cousin Han, the 'Champeen Tracker', hadn't discovered his hiding place yet. That was something that had never happened before!

After a while it grew silent. "Too quiet," Jed whispered. He couldn't hear any of the boys calling him anymore. "Well, guess I made 'em look long enough, an' 'sides that, it's gettin' kinda stuffy in here." It didn't seem like there was quite as much air as when he first got in.

But, although he pushed on the lid, nothing happened. He tried again, pushing with all his might, even using his knees as much as possible in the small, cramped space, but it was no use, it didn't even budge. The lid must have got stuck when it slammed shut!

"Unless someone finds me soon I'm gonna be trapped in here forever!" Jed squeezed his hands into fists and tried not to panic...

**0000000**

On the other side of town, Heyes was hard at work in his attempts to find Jed. The boys had been forced to alert the grown-ups about what had happened and everyone had searched all the normal hiding places. Heyes knew his cousin and understood how bad Jed wanted to prove he could outsmart all the older boys. He also knew that the boy wouldn't think twice before doing something dangerous... or stupid. To find Jed, Heyes was going to have to think like him. Using the process of elimination, Heyes began to sift through the scant information he had.

"By now, if he'd been able to, Jed should've come out of hiding, running back to brag and rub it in at not being found." That Jed had not already done so meant that for some reason or another he couldn't. "Jed doesn't have the patience to wait this long to be found." Which meant either he was hurt or hiding in something he couldn't get out of; that narrowed things down a bit.

Heyes called everyone together to explain what he had figured out.

"Look for anything that's big enough for Jed to get into; things that can shut or lock, things you think nobody would try to use as a hiding place," he instructed them; those were exactly the kinds of places a boy like Jed would choose!

**0000000**

Jed was tired of being trapped; he wanted out! It didn't matter anymore about showing every-one how good he was at hiding. He didn't like the darkness, the silence, or the feeling of being all alone. And most of all, he was scared that nobody was ever going to find him!

"Ma, I sure wish ya were here," he whispered, "I bet you'd find me, wouldn't ya? Ya wouldn't let me be scared like this...would ya?" Heck, right now he'd even be glad to see his older sister, Colleen; she'd help him, even if she did call him a pest most of the time.

And Han?

Jed wanted his cousin the most of all. Han wouldn't let anything or anybody hurt him. _I wonder where he is? If Han can't find me, then nobody can!_ These were the thoughts that kept Jed company while his loved ones relentlessly tore the town apart looking for him. Jed didn't have any idea of time where he was, but he had finally reached the point where he couldn't hold on any longer.

"Maybe if I jus' rest a bit..." The exhausted boy yawned deeply as exhaustion overtook him; his eyes slowly closed and the fingers of darkness greedily reached out to claim another victim.

**0000000**

Heyes had walked all around the entire town at least twice, checking every possible place where Jed might be. He was frustrated and beginning to have a bad feeling. This wasn't like Jed at all.

Then, as he turned the corner, he spied the old coffin. This would be the kind of hiding place Jed would think worthy of being discovered in, if they were to find him. And if they didn't? Well, then the boy would have the honor of knowing he had beat them all, because they hadn't even thought of looking for him in it.

Heyes ran over to the coffin and tried to lift the lid, but it wouldn't budge. He looked it over and discovered what the problem was; the coffin had a lock which had snapped into place when the lid slammed shut.

"Hang on, Kid, I'm here now; it won't be long and you'll be outta there,"

He worked quickly to open the lock and lifted the lid with enough force to pull it free from its hinges and looked down. Sure enough, Jed was inside but he wasn't moving and his eyes were closed. Heyes shook the boy's arm.

"Jed? Jed, wake up! It's me, Han; aw, c'mon, Kid - open your eyes - please!"

Heyes was beginning to get worried; he couldn't even tell if Jed was breathing. He reached down and felt Jed's arm just like he had seen the doc do...and let out the breath he had been holding. Jed had a pulse and that meant he was alive - so why didn't he wake up?

"I'll be right back, Kid, I won't be gone long, I promise - I've gotta get you some help!"

Heyes took off at a dead run and found some of the grownups that had been helping to search for Jed and they brought the doctor. He stared at his best friend as they lifted him out of the coffin. Jed was so still; his fingers were torn up, full of splinters where the boy had tried to claw his way out. He hadn't opened his eyes yet, either. Heyes felt helpless; he wanted to help, but there wasn't anything else he could do.

Doc Martin was on a visit close to town so someone was sent to tell him to head on out to the Curry's place. Heyes trailed right behind them and climbed into the wagon that would take Jed out to the Curry homestead. Once they arrived at the house, he made sure he got inside and stood against the wall; he kept as quiet as a churchmouse and stayed out of everyone's way so they wouldn't have any reasons to tell him to leave.

**0000000**

Once the doctor had examined Jed thoroughly, he shared his findings. "There's no great cause for concern; Jed will be fine. Although he passed out from lack of air, thanks to Hannibal, he was found in time. His hands will take a while to heal, but otherwise he should be up and back into mischief in no time at all."

Hearing the doc's reassuring words, Heyes released a sigh of relief. He could hardly wait until Jed was awake so he could tell him that all the boys had taken a vote and he was now the Champeen Hider. They also thought he was either really brave or plain loco for getting into the coffin in the first place. Most of the boys had also grudgingly admitted they never would have even thought of getting inside it at all.

The days passed. The doctor had been correct. Jed did recover physically within a relatively short time, but it was going to take longer for him to heal emotionally and he wasn't the only one. Jed had no idea how scared his cousin had been. Heyes didn't ever want to feel like that again!

It had taken Jed several weeks to finally quit having the nightmares every time he fell asleep and even longer to go near, or inside, any kind of closed space. Heyes began to wonder if the old Jed would ever come back. He missed his fun-loving cousin, his best friend and his partner; it just wasn't the same. Once Heyes decided he was tired of waiting he also realized that he was going to have to 'fix' Jed himself.

Heyes was patient; slowly coaxing Jed back into being the happy, mischievous boy he had been before getting trapped inside the coffin. The older boy was the one who planned the 'adventures' designed to erase the bad memories that seemed to have taken hold of Jed. They played at being pirates, hiding their treasure inside caves, each time going a little farther and staying a little longer.

Han did his best to help Jed become 'Kid' again, never once making fun of his friend. He let Jed take his time, and was wise enough to let the younger boy decide when he'd had enough. Han was the one who talked Jed into sitting in the old shed with the door open, in the daylight.

"Just to help you get over your fears a little," he assured his buddy. And it was Han who had sat right there beside him, giving the younger boy the courage to stay, when all Jed really wanted to do was jump up and run away, even though he knew that running wouldn't help.

Being tied up caused him to panic, if he couldn't get loose. Jed had managed to keep that fact a secret and hidden away from Han, but he couldn't lie to himself. The boy had tried his best to do what was asked of him, even going so far as to pretend he wasn't afraid anymore so Han wouldn't worry.

Jed played all the games, said all the right things and even laughed sometimes when he really felt like crying deep inside. Eventually he'd done such a good job of pretending that he'd even fooled his cousin into believing he was better.

The nightmares had, for the most part, faded away with time, but the fear of being trapped and alone in the dark had just found a temporary place to hide.

**0000000**


	8. The Road I'm On Is Dark

**CHAPTER 8 **

"**The Road I'm On Is Dark..."**

"Okay, Han…I won't give up!" Jed got up off the floor and resumed hollering and pounding on the door. He was unsure of how long he'd been going at it, but it seemed like hours! His throat was burning, his voice raspy. He didn't need to see to know his hands were torn and bleeding. He paused in his efforts to escape and let his head rest against the wooden door that separated him from freedom and listened to the silence.

When he let it get quiet, that was when the other noises came to taunt him. Jed wasn't sure if he really wanted to know what the noises were; maybe he was better off not knowing. But worse than what his imagination conjured up in regards to the noises, was when there was only silence. That was when Jed had time to think.

That was also when the trapped boy first smelled the smoke.

**0000000**

"Okay, Kid, I'm gonna flatten you for real this time - but first, I've got to find you!" Heyes was growing more worried by the minute but so far, no one else had noticed that Jed was missing. Miss Menius had inquired about him as she passed by and Heyes had told her he was washing up, hoping she didn't stop by again. As he looked around the room, he found Danny Bailey watching him; a big smile covered the bully's face.

_Now that's mighty strange, _Heyes thought uneasily, _wonder what that's all about?_

Supper drew to an end and still there was no sign of Jed. Heyes knew something was very wrong. He had hardly touched his own supper; his concern over his cousin's whereabouts had pushed food into a far corner of his mind.

As the minutes ticked slowly by and he had time to think things over, Heyes realized that he was sitting alone. Not alone only because of Jed's absence, but also because Jamie was conspicuously missing, too.

"Come to think of it, I haven't seen the girl at all today!" Okay, that settled it - something strange was definitely going on!

Heyes half-rose and scanned the dining room until his eyes came to rest on the solitary figure that sat hunched down at the end of the next table with a dejected look upon her face. He picked up his cup and bowl and crossed the distance that separated them. Once there he dropped down on the wooden bench beside her.

"Hiya, Jamie. How come you're sitting way over here all by yourself?"

The girl continued to stare down at her bowl, pushing the food around idly with her spoon and remained silent.

"What's wrong? You mad at me?"

That got a reaction. "Me - mad at _**you**_?" The spoon dropped from her hand and she spun around on the bench to face Heyes. "I jus' figured ya wouldn't want me to sit with ya - that maybe ya were mad at me, too..." Jamie dropped his gaze and looked down at the floor. After a moment she added in a whisper, "Like Jed."

"Oh, is Jed mad at you?" Heyes strove to keep his tone casual. _Now he was getting somewhere._

"Guess so..." Jamie mumbled and heaved a dramatic sigh, "He told me to quit botherin' him an' to go away an' leave him alone!"

Heyes could not only see the hurt, anger and confusion on the girl's face, he could hear it in her voice. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and gave his friend a reassuring hug. "Aw, you know how Jed gets sometimes; I bet he didn't really mean it." He waited a moment before asking his next question. "So, when did he say that to you?"

Jamie sighed again. "This afternoon; said he was _studyin'._" She raised her eyes. "See, I sneaked up on him, real nice an' quiet-like," she boasted proudly, "He was sittin' in that big chair in the hall, ya know, the old one by the clock?"

Heyes nodded.

"Well, guess he got mad 'cos I scared him." Her smile disappeared and her eyes clouded. "An' that's when he told me to go away!" She folded her arms across her chest. "So I did, an' I ain't seen him since!"

"Neither have I and you know what?" Heyes leaned in closer to Jamie to say quietly, "I'm starting to get a bit concerned. You know Jed - he never misses a meal."

Jamie nodded and began to worry her bottom lip between her teeth. "Uh, Han?" she said tentatively.

"Hmm?" Heyes looked down at her.

"I...well I kinda got mad at Jed, too...told him I never, _ever _wanted to see him again!" She looked up into her friend's face, "Han, do ya think…maybe somethin' bad's happened to Jed?" she asked in a small voice, "…maybe 'cos of what I said to him?"

Seeing the moisture beginning to pool in her eyes, Heyes pulled her against him for another hug. "No way! I imagine he's off playing somewhere, probably lost track of time -"

Jamie pulled herself free and scrambled off the bench. "You're jus' sayin' that! It's all my fault - I never should've said such a mean thing to him an' now you're gonna be mad at me, too!" She turned and ran out of the dining room before Heyes could do more than put out a hand to stop her.

With an exasperated sigh as he watched her disappear from sight. "I'll have to deal with _you_ later." The scant information the girl had given him hadn't helped much. He was nowhere closer to finding Jed than he had been before he sat down a while ago.

Since sitting here was a waste of time, Heyes decided to head for the last place both he and Jamie had seen his cousin. He walked into the hall and sat down in the same chair Jed had spent the afternoon waiting in; he checked out the room and tried to get some idea of where his cousin might have gone.

It wasn't long before he noticed the three bullies huddled near the stairs. Once again he got the feeling that something was up because they were doing plenty of whispering and laughing and kept looking towards him. Heyes frowned as he glanced at them again. Had they done something to Jed?

He wondered whether it was worth the effort to try to talk to them. His only other option was going to Miss Menius. But, he would only do that as a last resort though, because it would just cause more trouble for Jed. His frustration grew. "Kid – where in tarnation are you!?"

While he waged a silent battle about what to do, his eyes searched around the room again, seeking a clue - any clue - as to Jed's whereabouts. Heyes stood up and that's when he noticed Jed's slate laying by the wall. It had to be his cousin's; he could see the broken corner. He still remembered how Jed had become frustrated one afternoon and had thrown it against the wall and cracked it.

Heyes walked over and picked the slate up. He turned around and leaned against the wall, holding it in his hands and looked down at it, with a wish that it could talk. Well, at least Jed had been this way sometime this afternoon, but where had he gone from here?

As he continued to think, Heyes noticed two things simultaneously. First, as he looked over at the bullies he realized that he had their full attention. They had stopped talking and were staring at him, as if waiting for him to do something. The second thing was the smell of smoke! He turned and looked at the wall behind him. "There's no reason there should be smoke around here; we're nowhere near the kitchen or any fireplaces..." Heyes turned around to stare at the three boys.

"Something's wrong! They know something about it and they're going to tell me what it is right now!" He strode across the room to stand in front of the bullies, close enough to flatten the boys if he had to. His close proximity caused them to take a step backwards when they saw the look in his eyes.

"Okay, I want to know everything you know about Jed missing!" He held a hand up as one started to deny it, "And unless you wanna be picking your teeth up off the ground, I'd better be hearing the truth right now...and nothing had better have happened to Jed - or else!"

"We didn't do anything - you don't have any proof," Danny retorted, his own hands balled up into fists in anger.

"I might not have any proof - yet, but you three have been acting mighty suspicious and too darn happy since Jed's been gone! I found his slate on the floor over by that wall, and while I was standing there I smelled smoke!" By their reactions, Heyes realized that he'd hit the nail on the head and that he had been right in thinking they knew something.

Both boys turned to stare at Danny, but it was Michael who unwittingly supplied the answer. "You were the last one down there, Danny!" he blurted out accusingly.

"Just shut up, Michael! Whose side are ya on, anyways?" Danny snarled as he took a step towards the boy.

"Down where?" Heyes grabbed Danny. "You _**do**_ know something about it, so one of you better start telling me what you know or I'm going right to Miss Menius and she can deal with you!"

"Your dumb little cousin ain't nothin' but a troublemaker, Heyes! He's jus' gettin' what he deserves! Little baby tried to make fools outta all of us - too bad he got caught!"

When Heyes slammed Danny up against the wall, still holding onto his shirt, the bully realized he might stand a better chance with Miss Menius. When Heyes pulled back his fist, Danny started to talk.

"Aw, he's okay, Heyes - maybe a little scared, but nothin' bad." He dropped his voice. "He followed me down to our secret hideout. It's where we go so we can have us a little bit of privacy, if ya know what I mean," he winked at Heyes. "Anyways, I don't know how he found it; shoot, nobody has found us for nearly two years!

"Well, at least we thought they hadn't. I caught him jus' as he was gonna lock me in, so I jus' turned the tables on him, shoved him inside an' bolted the door." Danny made the mistake of laughing, "Boy, was he ever cryin' like a little baby when he found out I was gonna leave him down there."

The only thing that saved Danny from a beating was that the other two boys grabbed Heyes and held him back. The bully was wise enough to take the opportunity to put some distance between the two of them.

Heyes was furious and strained against his captors. "Where is he? You don't understand - tell me where to find him before its too late!"

"Aw, go ahead an' show him, Danny; Jeddie-weddie's probably learned his lesson by now. He'll leave us alone an' I don't wanna have to have to deal with Heyes anymore!" Matthew let go of the boy's arm; Michael did likewise.

"Big cousin Heyes to the rescue again," Danny sneered, "I should've known! Jus' follow me, an' try not to make a big deal outta the secret panel; we don't want everyone knowin' 'bout it."

Heyes followed them over to where he had discovered Jed's slate. Danny looked around to make sure no one was watching and then pushed a piece of wood cleverly constructed to look like an ordinary knothole in the panel. There was a click and as the door slid open, smoke tendrils began to snake out into the room. All four boys looked at each other in dismay as they realized at the same time that this secret was not going to remain a secret much longer!

Heyes quickly shut the door to prevent any more smoke from escaping. He needed a chance to think, but knew that if he was going to save Jed it had better be quick thinking.

"Is there any other way in or out?" he demanded impatiently.

"N-no, that's the only way in or out; there ain't no other doors or windows," Michael no longer sounded quite as calm as he answered.

"Matthew, you go find Miss Menius. Michael, you get all the kids outside, just in case the fire spreads, and you, Danny - you're goin' down there with me to help rescue Jed!" At the look Heyes gave him, Danny didn't dare refuse.

Heyes looked at the three boys still standing behind him. "What part didn't you understand? The whole school might burn down if we don't do somethin' quick! Jed's down there in that - if anythin' happens to him..." he left the threat unfinished. The other two boys nodded their heads and took off running, glad it wasn't them going downstairs with Heyes!

Heyes pulled his shirt over his mouth and nose, telling Danny to do the same. "You're gonna need to go first to show me where to go. Take a deep breath out here before I open the door- try to hold it as long as you can so you don't breathe in any more smoke than you have to. After we find Jed we're gonna high-tail it outta there fast- you ready?" Danny nodded and both boys took a deep breath. Heyes opened the door and shoved Danny inside.

"Let's go!"

**0000000**

Jed didn't want to die; not this way - not alone - and definitely not alone in the dark! He wasn't sure how to avoid it though; he didn't have any more strength left to yell. His hands were so bruised from pounding against the door he could hardly feel them anymore; they had become almost numb. His throat was raw and hurt and he was thirstier than he had been an hour ago. His arm felt like someone was sticking needles all over it and Jed hated needles! All that had been bad enough, but then, smoke had started coming in under the door.

As the smoke began filling the room, the exhausted boy knew he had to do something to try and keep it out. He had crawled around in the confines of his prison, coming up empty- handed. As he used his shirtsleeve to rub his watery eyes which were smarting from the smoke, he got an idea. Jed removed his shirt and stuffed it along the bottom of the door. It had helped a bit, but the smoke was still getting in. It was getting harder to find air to breathe and without his shirt, he was even more cold and miserable. Jed lay on the cold, damp floor shivering, his eyes closed, wishing he'd never tried to do this without Han...

"Han." Jed whispered the name. _Now he's gonna be all alone and it's my fault! Jus' 'cos I wanted to show Han I was big enough to take care of my own problems!_ He was so tired...Jed gave a deep yawn and shivered as he curled up into a tight ball, hugging himself for warmth. His last conscious thoughts were of his cousin…

"Han, I don't care, even if you're really mad at me, please find me!"

**0000000**

**CAMPSITE, PRESENT TIME**

When Heyes stopped speaking both men remained silent. That memory had been a lifetime ago. Back before they ran away and became outlaws; when they were still Han and Jed, still dreaming of what they wanted to do when they got older.

Heyes glanced sideways at Curry and broke the spell of silence, his voice quiet as he asked, "You remember what happened next?"

"No...not really," he hedged uneasily. "You an' Danny were the ones awake. I was trapped down in that stupid room thinkin' I was gonna die an' I'd never get the chance to tell you -" Kid stopped abruptly and, after an indifferent shrug, he shifted his gaze away from his partner to stare into the flames.

When Heyes realized Curry wasn't going to say anything else, he took up telling the story again.

"Yeah, you're right; Danny and I were still trying to get to you..."

**0000000**

**VALPARAISO**

Heyes and Danny had almost reached their goal, with just a few feet left to go. Finding it hard to breathe, both boys were coughing, bent over double, their eyes smarting from the smoke.

Unable to see, Danny turned to Heyes and pointed to his left. They had reached the door. Heyes hoped this wasn't a fool's errand. His emotions waged a war against each other. Part of him wanted Jed to be inside so the search would be over; the other half hoped the room was empty and his cousin was off somewhere playing another game of hide and seek.

As Danny reached out, Heyes tapped him on the shoulder and motioned for him to wait. He wanted to see if he could find the cause of all the smoke. So far they hadn't seen any sign of a fire, just smoke. It didn't take him long to find the source. A cigar had fallen into a pile of old cleaning rags, but they were only smoldering without catching on fire. When Heyes showed Danny what he had found, the look on the bully's face was enough to convince Heyes of the boy's guilt.

An insolent look on his face, Danny grabbed the cigar, threw it on the ground, and stomped it out. He picked it up and shoved it into his pocket almost defiantly. He wasn't going to take no chances on leaving any evidence behind that could point to him.

Now that the smoke was stopping, they could see a little better. Heyes hurried to the door and tried several times to slide the bolt back, but it refused to budge. "Look for something to hit it with," Heyes ordered.

Danny scouted the area, coming back almost immediately with an old board. They wedged it under the bolt and, using their combined strength, snapped the bolt clean off the door.

Yanking the door open, Heyes could barely make out the dark shape huddled on the floor in the corner of the small room. He ran over and threw himself down next to it, reaching out a hand and coming in contact with cold, bare skin.

"Geez, Kid, you're like ice!" Heyes exclaimed, looking around for Jed's shirt. He finally found it shoved against the wall behind the door. "You must have used it to keep some of the smoke out. "I'll try to remember to tell you what a good plan you had, Kid – later, when you can hear me!" Heyes whispered. "Danny," he yelled, "get in here and help me get Jed off the floor!"

The boy came inside and reached downwards but Heyes stopped him as he was about to grab Jed's arm.

"Be careful, just help lift him up, hand him to me and I'll carry him. You lead the way and I'll follow you." Together they got Jed up and into Heyes' arms and started heading back to the hall.

"When we get to the stairs, I'm going to need you to help me get him up." It was much easier to breathe going back since the smoke had already started disappearing and they could see where they were going. As he looked down at the limp form he carried in his arms, Heyes quickened his steps.

_Please, don't let him be as bad off as he was the last time, I don't think either of us can go through that again,_ Heyes whispered. When they reached the stairs, Danny turned to help get Jed up the steep steps. When they finally reached the top, they found a very irate Miss Menius waiting for them.

After one quick look at the headmistress, Heyes pushed her to the back of his mind and turned his attention to Jed. He got his first real look at his cousin as they emerged out of the darkness and into the light. What he saw almost caused him to drop the boy. Jed looked like he was the loser in a prize fight! The tear-stained face streaked with dirt made him look even younger and more vulnerable than his ten years. His knuckles were torn, scraped raw. His left arm was bent at an odd angle, hanging awkwardly at his side.

Miss Menius looked first at Hannibal and then down at Jedediah. "I should have known _**you two**_ would be at the bottom of this! What was it, another of your clever plans gone wrong, Hannibal?" Miss Menius demanded.

"No, ma'am, I didn't have anything to do with it...this time!" Still trying to catch his breath, Heyes tried to explain to Miss Menius what had transpired in as few words as possible.

"There wasn't any fire, just some old rags that were smoking up the place down below! Please, I just had to save Jed..." And now that Heyes had Jed safely upstairs, the effects of everything that had been happening began to take their toll on the older boy. He staggered under Jed's weight but managed to get him laid down in the chair before he collapsed down beside him on the floor.

"I'm still not sure what has been going on, but right now we need to see that Jedediah is taken care of. Danny, you go get a couple of the men outside, and tell everyone else they may come back inside."

When the two men arrived to take Jed, Heyes reluctantly let them take his cousin, knowing he had to let him go to be examined, but not wanting to let Kid out of his sight now that he had found him. He turned to Miss Menius, prepared to use every bit of charm he possessed to persuade the headmistress that he had to go along with his cousin.

"Please, Ma'am," he implored and looked straight into her eyes, "let me go with Jed...I promise I won't get in anyone's way - I'll be real quiet!"

"Now that would be a wonder to behold - Hannibal Heyes quiet! It might even be worth permitting you to go, just to see if it can be done!" Miss Menius knew from experience that whether or not she gave Hannibal permission to go, the boy would find his way in there anyway; there was just no separating the two of them.

"Very well, I will let you stay with him on one condition, Hannibal. I shall expect to see all _four_ of you boys in my office first thing in the morning immediately following breakfast, and we will get to the bottom of what has been going on around here these past few days, _isn't that right, boys?"_ she pivoted around to face the other three boys standing behind her.

The three bullies had been huddled together talking quietly over by the stairs and as she turned to include them, all three heads nodded, "Yes, ma'am," they chorused.

She turned back to Heyes, "Well, Hannibal?"

"Yes, ma'am, just so long as I can go with Jed now!"

"As long as we all understand one another, you may go, Hannibal." Miss Menius gave a dismissive wave of her hand and walked towards her office.

"Hey - Heyes, wait up a minute!" Michael called out before he could leave.

Heyes spun around. "What do _you_ want?" he glared at him. "Haven't you three done enough?" He waited with mounting impatience for the three boys to approach him.

Making sure no one was within listening distance, Michael kept his voice low. "We need to talk before we go see Miss Menius in the mornin'. If we don't get some kind of plan worked out, ain't none of us - 'ceptin' maybe you - ever gonna be able to sit again, and we're all gonna have extra chores to do for the rest of the time we're here!"

Heyes looked at them like they were crazy. "And what makes you think I'd help you come up with a plan? It's _**your**_ fault Jed's in there with the doc right now, with who knows what wrong with him! Why should I do anything for you three?" he demanded angrily, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. "Give me one good reason why - why should I care what happens to you?"

Michael gave the other boy a knowing look before he continued, "Well, Heyes, the way we see it, Jed's gonna be in even _**more**_ trouble than we are - unless you can think up one of those plans he's always goin' on about. He's always braggin' 'bout how clever his cousin is at thinkin' up things. Well you'd better jus' think about what's gonna happen to him when he's well enough to get up. Do ya think Jed can take all the punishment that'll be waiting for him?"

When Heyes remained silent, Michael smirked, "Well, do ya? Ya know they don't forget- dontcha, Heyes?"

Yeah, unfortunately, he _**did **_know, from personal experience. Punishments could wait until the offender was physically able to have them administered. And there wasn't any chance that they would forget, either. The bullies couldn't have thought of a better argument to convince Heyes to help them. And they were right on another point, too. Jed would be the one blamed for almost everything and most of the punishment would be his!

Heyes sighed in frustration as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Okay, after I go check on Jed, I'll come find you and together we'll figure out some kind of a plan." His eyes darkened, "But I want you to know, I'm only doing this for Jed - you three just happen to be part of the solution!"

"Right, Heyes, whatever ya say." Danny's smile mocked the dark-haired boy as the three bullies turned away jostling each other and laughing amongst themselves.

**0000000**


	9. I Know We'll Make It Through

**CHAPTER 9 **

"**I Know We'll Make It Through"**

Anxious and restless, Heyes was pacing outside in the hallway where he'd been denied entrance until the doctor could finish his examination. When he'd tried to talk his way in, although he'd used every persuasive skill he possessed, the physician had looked him straight in the eyes and made it perfectly clear that if Heyes couldn't wait until the exam was done, then he wouldn't be allowed in at all.

"Well, I might be forced to wait, but that doesn't mean I have to do it sitting down quietly!" _What's taking him so long anyways? Is Jed really that bad? _Heyes' patience was near its breaking point.

Just then the door opened. "Okay, Hannibal, I'm finished examining Jedediah, you -" Doctor Martin halted midstream when he realized he was speaking to an empty hallway, the boy having ducked under his arm and bolted inside the room before the doctor had finished saying his name.

Approaching the bed, Heyes looked down with some trepidation at the motionless figure laying on it and swallowed. _Jed looks so pale…so helpless, just lying there all still, not moving at all._ He sat down, being careful not to jar the patient and then reached over and picked up Jed's hand, unable to prevent wincing when he saw the raw red scrapes and the darkened bruising of the knuckles. "Aw, Kid…" he whispered and searched his friend's face. Upon closer inspection he found it difficult to tell if Jed was breathing and looked up at the doctor in alarm, the unspoken question in his eyes.

"It's okay, he's just resting right now; I gave him something to help with the pain."

Heyes swallowed, "Is he in...is there much pain? How bad is he, Doc? Tell me the truth, please - I'm all the family Jed has left – we've always looked out after each other." He turned his attention back to his cousin, watching Jed intently for any sign of movement.

"Well, considering everything he's been through, he's a very lucky boy. The cuts, scrapes and bruises look worse than they are and will disappear in time. My first real concern is that arm of Jedediah's; it's what's called a greenstick fracture. I'll have to tend to that immediately, but he should remain unconscious with the medicine I've given him long enough to get it fixed."

"A greenstick fracture? Does that mean it's broken?"

"Well, yes and no. Children have softer, more pliable bones than adults, so however Jed injured it, while one side of the bone bent, the other broke."

"What do you have to do to fix it?"

"Well, first the bone has to be reset; I have to put it back into the right position and after that I have two options. I can try splinting it and if the bone shows signs of healing properly, Jedediah will only have to be patient for a few weeks."

"And if it doesn't, Doc? What happens then?"

"If that doesn't work, then I would need to apply a plaster cast to immobilize the bone until it has healed. A cast will take longer, but it may be necessary."

"How will you know?"

"Well, the goal is to keep the bone sufficiently immobilized. From what I can tell, the splint should be sufficient. If a splint can provide adequate support, then my goal is accomplished and Jedediah will soon be running around as if nothing had ever happened. A splint has certain advantages; one is that it can be removed for washing the injured area and then reapplied. A plaster cast is permanent until the mending process is completed and more of a hindrance than a splint."

Heyes nodded. "I hope the splint works, Doc; he's not very good at waiting."

"Most young people aren't," Doctor Martin agreed. "Now, my second concern is a bit more complicated; I'm worried about the amount of smoke he got inside his lungs. That, along with lying on the cold, damp floor has put him at a higher risk for pneumonia. You know as well as I do, Hannibal, that unfortunately Jedediah has a history of taking a cold easily which, in turn, has the nasty habit of turning into pneumonia."

His eyes never leaving his friend, Heyes nodded in agreement.

"Now, those last two things are what we'll have to watch very carefully for the next few days. In addition, his throat is very sore, raw from yelling and coughing from the smoke he breathed in, so he really doesn't have much of a voice left at the moment. That being said, Jedediah was conscious for a brief time and during those few moments he managed to say a few words."

Heyes' head jerked up. "What'd he say, Doc?"

"He whispered, 'Tell Han, sorry,' before he passed out again."

Heyes turned back to his cousin and gave his hand a quick squeeze before he leaned forward, close to Jed's ear. "Apology accepted, partner," he whispered, "now you just get better - you hear?"

"I'll give you the choice of staying while I set that arm or waiting outside until I'm done. It won't take long but if you stay, you can't get in the way or interfere with the work in any way. You should be prepared for your cousin to be in pain if he doesn't stay under the medication. It won't be easy; sometimes it's harder on the family than it is on the patient. I need to set it right now, so I need to know what you're decision is."

Heyes' eyes had widened at the mere suggestion that he might abandon Jed. There was no way he'd leave his cousin alone! _I just got in here and nothing or nobody is going to make me leave now! _There wasn't any doubt in his mind as to what his answer was going to be. His voice was firm and filled with conviction when he answered, "I'm staying!"

"That's what I thought you'd say, Hannibal. In fact, I would have bet on it - if I were a betting man. I'll be as gentle as I can, but as I already explained, it all depends on his pain level and how the medication is working. You can stay right there beside him and hold his hand. I have one of the men coming back to help me with Jedediah's arm; it'll take two of us to get it set."

Heyes leaned down next to Jed again, wanting him to know that he was there. "I'll be right here, Kid. It's okay if you have to yell, the doc says it might hurt. You can squeeze my hand if you need to..." Heyes felt his hand being squeezed...once, twice! "Hey Doc," Heyes called out in surprise, "I swear he just squeezed my hand! You think he heard me?"

"Yes, Hannibal, it's very possible Jedediah can hear you even though he can't speak; this may be his way of letting you know that he knows," the doctor smiled.

Just then the other man arrived that was to help set Jed's arm.

"Jack, this is young Jedediah's cousin, Hannibal; Hannibal, this is my friend, Jack Carter. You may have seen him around, but I'm not sure the two of you have met. He and I have done this many times; it should be fairly easy since Jedediah is so young. The younger you are, the easier it is to set the bones."

Heyes stood up to shake his hand. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Carter, and thank you for helping with Jed," Heyes smiled up at the man, who nodded back at the boy.

"Okay, Hannibal, we're ready to start. Remember, whatever happens, your job is to stay right there and hold his hand."

Heyes sat back down next to Jed and picked up his hand. Taking a deep breath and keeping his eyes fixed on his friend, he announced, "Okay, Doc...I'm ready."

Without another word the two men set briskly to work.

Heyes turned to watch them, fascinated as usual by discovering how something new worked. _The way they manipulated things around...they made it look easy! _He felt his hand being squeezed again and shifted his gaze back to Jed, alarmed to see his eyes were open. He got down on his knees next to the bed, "It's okay, Kid...they're just fixing up your arm." As the boy turned to look, Heyes spoke sharply to get his attention. "Uh, uh, don't look at them - look at me! Hey, Doc, Jed's awake - you almost done?"

"You just keep talking to him, we're almost finished."

"Hey, Jed, you hear that? The doc wants me to talk to you and you've gotta listen! Why does he give me all the hard things to do? You know what? You're gonna miss out on a whole lot of chores, having a busted arm an' all. Too bad it wasn't the right one; you probably could've got outta all your homework too!"

Heyes was rewarded with a weak grin from Kid which was quickly replaced by a grimace and a scream of pain as the two men guided the bones back into place. The cry trailed off into a low moan as Jed sunk back down into unconsciousness. Heyes released a heartfelt breath of relief. _It's a good thing you did, Kid; I think you've been through enough already!_

"You did a fine job, Hannibal; you were a big help keeping him busy while we finished up. Now, I'm going to suggest that you take a break. He won't wake up for a while. I can stay here with him," he offered, "until you come back if you'd like?"

Torn between staying with Jed or getting things settled with the bullies, Heyes decided he'd better go take care of them first, that way he would be free to stay here with his cousin. "Okay, Doc," he answered and laid Jed's hand down on the bed. "I won't be gone long, Kid. I just need to take care of something and I'll be right back, I promise." With one last look at his sleeping friend, Heyes turned and walked away.

**0000000**

Heyes found the three boys outside in the yard waiting for him. Their usual 'bully' image was noticeably missing and in its place were just three anxious teenage boys. Heyes shook his head. He'd really rather just tell them it was their own fault for picking on Jed the way they did and they deserved whatever they got, but he also realized that if he wanted to make things right for his cousin, he'd have to get them off the hook as well. He took a moment to give each of them a measuring look before speaking. Then, with no desire to spend any more time with them than he had to, Heyes didn't waste any more time telling them his plan.

"Okay, here's what you're going to do. First off, none of you - and that includes Jed - is going to get out of this without some kind of punishment, there's just no way around it. Too many things have happened that you can't explain without making it worse on everyone. The first two things we're all going to do is forget that you three made fun of Jed - calling him a baby - which is what started this whole thing. The second thing, is that the spiders and the bees were just 'accidents' -"

_"Accidents – are ya crazy?_ You mean we're jus' supposed to forget Jed was responsible for 'em? Why should we?" demanded Michael angrily.

"If you'd let me finish, you'd see why! Let's just say for now, that'll be our secret. Now, let me tell you the rest. Think about it; if there isn't any memory of Jed causing the accidents then there also won't be any memory of _**someone**_ locking him up downstairs to almost suffocate!" Heyes glared pointedly at Danny.

The bully was quiet for a minute and then shrugged his shoulders. "Okay, guess that makes sense." Turning to the other two bullies, he added, "A whole lot less trouble than explainin' how we knew he was down there in the first place, right? Which brings up a good point – how _**ARE**_ we gonna explain that part anyways, Heyes? How're we gonna tell 'em we knew where to find Jed, without gettin' into all kinds of trouble?"

"Well, this is the part that's a bit tricky. I'm going to have to get Jed to listen to me 'cause he's not going to like it. It's going to take a whole lot of talking to convince him, to get him to understand it's the best way. I'll have to get him to listen as soon as he's able. All of us have to see Miss Menius in the morning, so we have to get the next part down right. And, we all have to tell the same story, or it won't work. They won't question Jed for a few days, so that'll give me the time I need to work it out with him. After I explain to him why we're doing it this way, he'll go along..." Heyes said confidently.

He glanced around quickly before continuing, "Now, this is the way it happened...Jed was nosing around like he always does, trying to find something to do, and that's when he smelled the smoke. He somehow found the secret door, got it open and went down to investigate. The door accidentally shut on him, trapping him down there.

"As far as the smoking rags, nobody should be blamed for that, whatever it was that was on them caused them to go up in smoke 'cos of the chemicals. Danny got rid of the cigar - which was really what started the whole thing. And we all know who the last one down there with a cigar was - don't we?" Heyes' glare of accusation never wavered as he stared at Danny.

Danny grinned back in return. "Well, Heyes, if things happened the way ya say, then nobody was anywhere with anything – at least that's the way I see it." His smile disappeared and his tone became serious. "Ya really think Jed's gonna be willin' to take the blame for bein' down there where he shouldn't have been? Ya don't think he's gonna want to tell on us an' let 'em know what we had to do with it?"

"Listen, it's like I said before; everyone has to forget some things, but no one is going to get off totally. I'm pretty sure he won't want them finding out he was responsible for the beehive or the spiders and you guys sure don't want them finding out that you've been going down into your little secret hideout for the last two years.

"You just leave Jed to me; he'll listen to me and do what I tell him to do. You have any other questions? I need to get back. You all know what you need to tell Miss Menius in the morning, right? Remember, this'll only work if everyone sticks to the same story."

The three boys looked at each other, shrugged their shoulders and then nodded.

"Just want ya to know, Heyes, we appreciate you workin' out a plan to keep all of us outta really big trouble - we won't forget it. Jus' try to talk some sense into that cousin of yours, will ya? You tell Jed that if he leaves us alone, we just might leave him alone." As Danny finished speaking the other two boys nodded their heads in agreement.

"Don't worry, I'll be talking to him a lot – and I'll be sure to mention it. Now, I'm going back up there with Jed, you'd better get going too - and try to relax; it'll make your stories sound more convincing." Heyes walked up the steps and into the building without a backwards glance.

The three boys he left behind in his wake were oblivious to the big smile that had appeared on Heyes' face. He had omitted one small detail of his plan; the part about the story that would soon be circulating around town. He didn't want the story getting around too soon, though; timing was crucial. It had to be right before their appointed meeting with Miss Menius for it to do the most good, especially if he didn't want to tip his hand to the bullies.

"Now all I need to do is to help make sure the right people know about the story..." Heyes murmured. Shoving his hands into his pockets and whistling softly, he made a few stops and when he was finished, Heyes headed back to the sickroom. He settled down into the chair next to Jed, watching his cousin while he slept, wishing he'd open his eyes so he could tell him everything was going to be okay. He leaned forward to touch Jed's arm.

"I'm right here, Kid; sure would be nice to see you open your eyes. Boy, have I got **lots** to tell you...Hey, did you know that you're a hero? Folks 'round here think you risked your life to save the whole place from being burnt down to the ground! How 'bout that? They can't believe such a little guy like you could do such a big, brave thing! Wonder who's been telling them such stories, huh?" Brown eyes twinkling, Hannibal Heyes grinned in that special way of his.

"Anyways, the Doc's being a real big help; even says that if it weren't for you, we all could've died! He says it won't be long and you'll be up and running round, back to normal. Boy, will I ever be glad when things settle down and get normal again! After all that's gone on these last couple of days, I'm ready for something normal! 'Course with you around, Kid, not much stays normal very long. You just have a way of keeping things stirred up, you know. Good thing you've got me around; someone's gotta make sure you don't get into too much trouble," Heyes' speech was interrupted by a huge yawn.

_It __**had**__ been a very long day…_Leaning back, Heyes' lashes fluttered down to shutter his warm brown eyes. "Just going to rest for a minute..." he mumbled.

**0000000**

Heyes awoke to feel the warmth of sunlight streaming on his face. He sat up quickly, rubbing his eyes and looked over at his cousin. _Geez, _he whispered,_ Jed looks even worse today! _Most of the boy's face was pale, except for his cheeks, which were patches of bright red. Heyes groaned; he knew the telltale signs better than anyone. He and Jed had been together too long for him not to recognize the signs of fever which usually accompanied the hateful pneumonia that Jed was so prone to.

He reached up and felt Jed's forehead. _Yep, he was burning up alright!_ And here he'd been sleeping all night instead of taking care of his cousin! Angry with himself, Heyes hurried over to the washstand. Picking up a towel, he wet it, wrung it out and carried it back to put on Jed's feverish forehead.

"Oh good, Hannibal, you're awake," Doc Martin smiled a greeting as he opened the door and stepped inside the room. "Thank you for getting that back on his head. The nurse and I just stepped out for a few minutes so I could give her some instructions regarding Jedediah's care."

"Nurse? Jed doesn't need a nurse!" Bristling with umbrage and unwilling to let someone else take care of Jed, Heyes challenged the physician." I'm right here – and I know how to take real good care of him - I've been doing it since I was a kid!" That was _his_ job and nobody was going to take it away from him!

Hearing the uncertainty that was even more prevalent than the defiance in the boy's words, the doctor smiled down at the angry young man who glared up at him. Putting a hand on Heyes' shoulder, his voice was calm and without censure. "Hannibal, nobody is asking you to leave or trying to take your place; you can still do your job and help Jedediah get well. The nurse is just an extra precaution I'm taking because of the severity and the nature of his illness.

"As you are probably well aware, Jedediah has the beginnings of pneumonia; added to that are the complications from inhaling all that smoke into his lungs. If he's to have a fighting chance, then we must all work together, use all of our combined strengths to help him. This time you don't have to do it all by yourself; do you understand, Hannibal?"

Ashamed at his angry outburst, Heyes heaved a sigh and then looked up at the doctor contritely. "Yes, sir, I'm sorry; guess I'm just used to being the only one around for Jed. Most of the time, when he's sick, nobody wants anything to do with him. The thing is, he always needs lots of stuff done and they don't have the time to do it; they say it's too much of a bother. Plenty of times I had to beg, and sometimes even steal, to get the stuff he needed: extra blankets, broth, a bigger fire, someone to be there when he woke up...As far as they were concerned, he was already dead...I just - I couldn't let that happen, Doc; I know Jed'd do the same for me."

"No, you couldn't, Hannibal, no more than your cousin would let something happen to you. It's wonderful that you two have each other to lean on. Most people go through their whole lifetime and never have a fraction of the love you two have for each other. That love will be the thing that helps Jedediah the most. All the medicine, nurses, blankets, fires and broth won't help him get well if he doesn't have a good enough reason to live."

"Don't worry, Doc; Jed's got LOTS of reasons to stay around and I'll be sure to remind him of all of 'em when he wakes up!" With a dimpled grin on his face that went from ear to ear, Heyes crossed the room to take his place beside his cousin.

**0000000**


	10. Let Me Lean On You Reprise

**CHAPTER 10 **

"**Let Me Lean On You"**

But it was not to be.

Heyes was not allowed the opportunity to tell Jed anything. Instead, he spent the time worried that his cousin might not make it through this time. The coughing spasms were the worst Jed had ever had. Sometimes it was so bad they had to sit him up and pound on his back to get him breathing again.

Jed was weak, everything hurt and he still didn't have any kind of a voice. But, as terrible as it sounded, that was the one thing Heyes was grateful for...Jed not being able to cry out with his pain. It was bad enough hearing the small whimpering sounds the younger boy made when he was hurting and the pain became too much to bear. Heyes wasn't sure he could have taken much more.

Despite his earlier jealousy of others helping to take care of his cousin, Heyes had to admit it sure was easier with help than doing it all alone. He was glad the doctor and his nurse had decided to stay in their little town, instead of going on to someplace bigger. They were two of the nicest grownups Heyes had met since the deaths of his and Jed's families.

It was a new experience to be able to trust them enough to get some much needed rest while they cared for Jed and, in addition, they treated Heyes like he was a man. They asked him questions and then waited for his answers and they even listened to what he had to say, as if it really mattered.

**0000000**

_**THE NEXT MORNING**_

Doc Martin was just pulling the door to Jed's room shut when Heyes came down the hallway.

"Good morning, Hannibal; you're up bright and early."

"Mornin', Doc, I wanted to check on Jed before breakfast."

"He's resting quietly at the moment." His eyes twinkling he added, "In fact, they're both resting quietly."

"_**Both?"**_ Surprised by the physician's answer, Heyes' brow shot up.

"Yes," the doctor smiled, "that little Jamie Thompson is curled up in the chair right next to him. Miss Menius was not very happy with the arrangement, but I pulled rank on her this time. It looks like he had an extra guardian angel watching over him all night."

The mere mental image of Jamie as an angel caused Heyes' mouth to curve up into a grin. "Yeah, she was pretty worried about him, too."

"Well, I think Jedediah is a very lucky young man, to have two friends who care about him so much."

"I think that works both ways, Doc!"

With an agreeing nod of his head, the doctor walked away. Heyes pushed the door open and peeked inside. The doc was right. Jamie had pushed the chair as close to the bed as it would go and was curled up in it, fast asleep. Her arm was stretched out, her hand resting protectively on Jed's arm.

After watching them for a few minutes, Heyes crossed the room and touched Jamie gently on the shoulder. She opened her eyes and blinked, looking around in confusion.

Heyes put a finger to his lips and mouthed a warning, nodding towards the bed.

Jamie looked at her friend and pulled her hand back, careful not to wake him. With a yawn she sat up and stretched, then climbed out of the chair and followed Heyes to the door. He opened it and they stepped outside into the hallway.

Jamie rubbed the sleep from her eyes and yawned again. "Mornin', Han; guess I must've fallen asleep, too. I heard what happened an' I jus' _**had**_ to make sure Jed was okay! Ya don't mind, do ya - I mean, that I stayed with him?"

Heyes gave her a dimpled smile. "Nah, it's alright, and the doc says it won't be long 'fore Jed's up and running around again."

"I sure hope so; it's too quiet 'round here without him. I've missed him!"

"Me too!"

"Is it really true what they're sayin', Han? Did Jed _**really**_ save the whole place from burnin' down?"

"There's not enough time to tell you all about it right now; you'd better hurry up and get on down to breakfast. I'll be there in just a few minutes, okay?"

"Okay, see ya later." Jamie turned to leave but then pivoted around to face Heyes. "Han, I'm so glad ya found him, an' that he's gettin' better...an' I didn't **really** mean what I said to him...Will ya tell Jed that for me? An' tell him that I'm not mad at him no more. Oh, an' tell him I'll come back to see him later an' -"

"If he's awake, you can tell him all that yourself," Heyes interrupted with an amused chuckle, "It's Saturday, so there's no school. C'mon back after you're done doing your chores; I'll be right here, too."

"You bet!" Humming a happy little tune, Jamie took off skipping down the hallway.

**0000000**

Unfortunately for both Jamie and Heyes, they were forced to wait to talk to their friend.

It was several days later before the moment Heyes had been waiting impatiently for finally arrived. As he walked into Jed's room early one morning, he stopped short in surprise_. Jed was sitting up and had his eyes open!_ But even more important, the bright red patches were missing from his cheeks as he offered Heyes a weak grin.

"Mornin'," Jed whispered.

Jed's voice was still raspy and hoarse, as well as pathetically feeble, but none of that mattered one whit to Heyes. His cousin, his partner, his best friend, was going to be okay! He practically ran over to Jed's side and not caring if anyone was watching, gave his cousin a bear hug. "Boy, Kid, am I ever glad to see you awake!" He released Jed and flopped down in the chair next to the bed beside him.

The two boys sat staring at each other in mute silence; Jed was the first to look away. When he did, he kept his eyes focused down at his lap, refusing to look up; he began to twist the corner of his blanket into knots.

Heyes frowned thoughtfully as he watched Jed, but decided to pretend he didn't notice anything unusual; eventually he'd find out what was bothering his friend. "There sure is a lot to tell you, Kid; in fact, there's so much, I don't know where to start!"

Silence greeted his words and then Heyes snapped his fingers. "Hey, I know what; that mama cat finally had her kittens out in the barn - she had five of 'em! I made sure she had a nice, safe place to keep 'em until you could get out there to see 'em; they've got their eyes open now."

The whole time he was talking, Heyes kept his eyes on Jed. He still wasn't sure what was wrong, but Jed kept fiddling around with the blanket like it was the most important thing he'd ever seen. Heyes knew something was bothering his friend because he still hadn't looked up or said another word since Heyes had sat down next to him. His tone a bit more persistent, Heyes decided to give it another try.

"Hey, Kid, did you hear me? Are you even listening?" He reached out and put his hand on top of Jed's, covering it with his own as he tried to get his attention.

Jed snatched his hand away as if he had been burned, "NO!" he spoke with as much force as his sore throat would allow. Then he dove under the blanket, pulling it up over his head, but not before Heyes had seen the glimmer of tears in his friend's eyes.

Heyes got up to close the door so they could have a little privacy, unsure of his next move. Just as he reached the door, the voice from beneath the blankets stopped him in his tracks.

"Don't go, Han!" Jed cried out, "Don't be mad at me...I'm sorry - don't leave me..._**please?**_"

Heyes pushed the door shut and then hurried back to Jed who still hid beneath the covers. He stood staring down at the covered figure that huddled under the blankets, a mixture of concern and consternation on his face.

"Hey, I wasn't going anywhere - I just wanted to shut the door so we could talk without everyone listening. What's wrong? Why should I be mad at you? And what are _**you**_ saying sorry for? After all you've been through you don't have anything to be sorry about! Are you gonna stay under that blanket all morning or are you gonna come out and talk with me?"

"I think I'm safer here - under the blanket!" came Jed's muffled reply, "It'll make it harder for ya to flatten me!"

Heyes smiled as comprehension slowly dawned. "Aw, Kid, c'mon out of there; I'm not gonna flatten you - at least not while you're still lying in bed, anyways," he added with a chuckle.

Still speaking from behind the safety of his blanket, Jed's voice was cautious, "Why not? Ain't ya mad at me?"

"I am **NOT** going to talk to you as long as you're hiding under that blanket! C'mon out! Kid?" Receiving no response, he continued, "Okay then, I'm going to count to three and if you don't come out, I'm coming in after you! One...Two...Thr -"

"Okay, okay, Han - I'm out...see!" Jed cried, peeking out from beneath the edge of the blanket.

_Well,_ Heyes conceded, _I have to admit, at least __**most**__ of his head is out_. But Jed still held the blanket gripped tight in both hands and it still covered his face from the mouth down.

"Ya know what, Han? Ya sounded jus' like my mom, when you said that!" Jed _sounded_ like he was smiling, but it was kind of hard to tell since the blanket still hid his mouth from view.

"I know...that's where I remembered it from; it worked, didn't it?" Heyes reached over and tugged the blanket free from Jed's hands and pulled it the rest of the way off his face.

"Can I have somethin' to drink? My throat is hurtin' somethin' fierce!"

Heyes got some water and helped Jed sit up to drink it. He watched as the boy drink the whole glass down without stopping and commented wryly, "Was that enough, or do you have room for more?"

Jed leaned back against the headboard. "No, that was good; my throat feels better now." He looked around hopefully, "Is there anythin' to eat, Han? I don't think I've had any food for...well, for a long time! Are they plannin' on starvin' me too?"

Heyes grinned. _Yep, Jed was definitely getting better if he was asking for food!_ "I'll have to check with the doc; but no, they aren't going to let you starve. I think I heard the doc say something 'bout you taking it easy when you first started eating again so you didn't get sick and lose it. He said it needs to be soft, too, so it doesn't hurt your throat."

"Oh..." Jed looked downright disappointed, "Well, that don't leave much then, does it?" Heaving a dramatic sigh, he added, "Guess I _will_ have another glass of water."

Heyes had a hard time trying not to laugh at Jed's woebegone expression. _I'd better check with the doc quick and find out what Jed can have to eat; that'll make him feel better. _He handed Jed the cup of water. "Okay, Kid, when you're finished drinking this, we're going to talk, right?"

Jed's answer was an indifferent shrug of his shoulders.

Heyes wasn't surprised when the second glass of water took twice as long as the first for the boy to finish. He settled down on the bed, made himself comfortable and waited patiently.

While Jed drank, he watched Heyes with anxious eyes over the rim of his cup. Empty at last, he reluctantly handed the cup back to his cousin, sighing in resignation. "Okay, Han...I was hopin' maybe you'd jus' forget all about it?" He looked up at his cousin.

But Heyes shook his head. "Now why would you think I'd want to flatten you? Why would you be afraid and think that I'd just leave you?"

Jed looked up straight into Heyes' eyes this time. Taking a deep breath, he spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully. "Because...I...I kinda forgot to tell ya somethin'. Well,_**lots **_of somethin's...an' I guess I sorta didn't tell ya the truth when ya asked me if I'd done one thing to get even with the bullies...well, there were three of them, so I didn't do jus'..._**one **_thing - I did _**three**_ things! But ya did ask if I'd done _**one **_thing, Han!"

"Well -"

Jed cut him off and hurried on to explain. "See, I remembered what ya told me. A while back when I asked ya what to do instead of flattenin' someone, ya said, 'Kid, you've got to know your enemy; learn their weaknesses. Figure out what it is they're afraid of and use it to your advantage. You have to learn how to use your brain instead of your fists." _Yep, that's what Han had said, alright._

"An' then...well, then there was my arm..." Jed took a deep breath and the words rushed out. "Guess maybe I _**did**_ lie to ya 'bout that - I didn't wanna - but if I'd've told ya, then ya would've made me go see the doc. I would've missed gettin' to see what happened! I had to do everythin' all by myself, an' it was so hard! Han, I jus' tried to plan like you, but I guess I forgot a whole bunch of stuff..." Jed's agitated fingers began to twist the blanket into knots again.

Heyes stood up in order to look down at his cousin, his stern expression causing the boy in the bed to press back against his pillow. "I think there are quite a few other things you forgot about, too!"

"I told ya you'd be mad! We always said we'd never lie to each other an'...an' then I went an' did it! That's why ya need to leave me - ya can't trust me no more!" Jed cried and attempted to dive back under the safety of his blanket again.

But this time Heyes was ready; he grabbed the blanket and held on tight. He grinned as he watched Jed keep his head averted, a stubborn set to his chin. Sitting down on the bed, Heyes reached out to grasp Jed's chin, forcing the younger boy to look at him. "Now just you wait one daggone minute - you didn't let me finish! I was gonna say you _forgot_ how you came up with a good plan - all on your own - to deal with some pretty big problems."

Heyes released his grip on Jed's chin and went on, "You _forgot_ that even with a sore arm, you somehow managed to do everything you were supposed to do to make your plans work. You _forgot_ to be afraid as you made your plans and carried them out. You _forgot_ that you kept your promise to me not to get into any fights to solve your problems. But, most important of all, Kid, you _forgot _that sometimes it's okay to forget."

"Ya mean it, Han? Really? Ya don't think ya can't trust me no more?"

"Jed, I would trust you with my life! This doesn't change anything between us, 'cept that maybe from now on, I'll be sure to listen more carefully to what you say and pay more attention to your answers. You are my cousin...my partner...and my best friend; there isn't any other person I trust as much as I trust you."

Jed's smile said it all. _His cousin Han was the best! Everything was going to be alright, now. _

"Han?"

"Huh?"

"I promise, from now on, I'll try not to lie to ya ever again," the boy's words were spoken in earnest, as if taking an oath. "I'll tell ya when there's trouble, an' I'll prove to ya that ya can trust me...honest. Han? Han...why're ya laughin'? What's so funny? Fine! Never mind...jus' forget it - I didn't wanna know anyways - _**Hannibal!**_" Annoyed with his cousin Jed fell silent and aimed a fierce scowl at Heyes as he toppled over backwards on the bed, holding onto his sides and laughing so hard he had tears in his eyes.

When Heyes was able to stop laughing enough to talk, he wiped his eyes and looked over at Jed, who still glared at him with a look of reproach upon his face. After he had caught his breath, Heyes held up his hands in a placating manner and began to explain.

"Sorry...Kid, but it's all your fault! I was just thinking that if you did everything you just promised it sure would be dull around here!" Although Heyes tried his best not to fall victim to the laughter again, he failed miserably and collapsed on the bed, clutching his stomach.

Jed looked at Han first in bewilderment and then, as Heyes' words soaked in, he grinned and toppled over backwards to join his cousin. The sound of their merriment ringing out in the room was the best medicine the doctor could have ordered!

**0000000**

_**BACK AT THE CAMPSITE…PRESENT TIME **_

Heyes and Curry sat in companionable silence as they reflected on how easy things had been to fix back in those early days. Years of watching out for each other had created a bond so strong that it could not be broken. The two had remained cousins, partners and best friends throughout everything life had tossed their way. They looked up across the campfire at the same time and brown eyes met and locked with blue ones.

"Kid -"

"Heyes -"

They stopped, looked at each other and grinned, and then they began to chuckle. Soon the air was filled with the sound of their deep, rumbling laughter.

As always, no further words were needed between the two friends.

Hannibal Heyes and Jed "Kid" Curry had come full circle. Each man knew with a dead certainty that the other could always be counted on to be nearby...and ready to lean on if he needed to.

_*** LET ME LEAN ON YOU ***_


End file.
